Influence of drying treatment on three Sargassum species 2.: Protein extractability, in vitro protein digestibility and amino acid profile of protein concentrates

The effects of different drying treatments (oven- and freeze-drying) on protein extractability of three subtropical brown seaweeds, Sargassum hemiphyllum, S. henslowianum and S. patens, as well as in vitro protein digestibility and amino acid profile of their protein concentrates (PCs) were investigated. When compared with freeze-drying, oven-drying not only improved significantly ( p < 0.05, two-way ANOVA, Tukey-HSD) the protein extractability of the three Sargassum species but also the protein quality ( in vitro protein digestibility) of their PCs. Therefore, oven-drying was found to be more suitable for protein extraction of brown seaweeds. The relationships between the protein extractability and total phenolic content in seaweeds and between in vitro protein digestibility and total phenolic content in PCs were also discussed.