IMPACT OF SEASONAL CHANGES ON THE DIETARY FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS OF EDIBLE SEAWEEDS FROM RAMESWARAM

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the dietary fibre content of six selected edible seaweeds, namely Acanthophora spicifera , Gracilaria corticata, Gracilaria edulis, Ulva lactuca, Ulva reticulata, and Stoechospermum marginatum collected across different seasons. The results revealed that all the selected seaweeds contained high levels of dietary fibre, which varied significantly (p < 0.01) among species as well as across seasons. Among them, the red seaweed Gracilaria edulis exhibited the highest total dietary fibre (TDF) content, with values of 42.4 ± 1.69 g during the pre-monsoon season, 41.3 ± 0.61 g in the post-monsoon season, and 41.23 ± 1.12 g in the monsoon season. Notably, the highest soluble dietary fibre (SDF) content was also recorded in Gracilaria edulis during the monsoon season. Overall, the findings underscore that red seaweeds, particularly Gracilaria edulis, are rich sources of dietary fibre and hold promising potential for use in the development of diabetic-friendly food formulations and nutraceuticals.