Potential of red, green and brown seaweeds as substrates for solid state fermentation to increase their nutritional value and to produce enzymes

Seaweeds are valuable feedstocks with the potential to be used as ingredients in aquafeeds. However, their use are still limited, given their recalcitrant polysaccharide structure. To break this structure, a biotechnological approach such as solid-state fermentation (SSF) by filamentous fungi can be used, which simultaneously increases the nutritional value of the biomass. However, SSF has hardly been studied in seaweeds; thus, in this study, five different seaweeds (Gracilaria sp., Porphyra dioica, Codium tomentosum, Ulva rigida, and Alaria esculenta) were used as substrates in SSF with Aspergillus ibericus MUM 03.49 and A. niger CECT 2915. Firstly, the seaweeds were fully characterized, and, then, changes in the crude protein and carbohydrate contents were assessed in the fermented biomass, as well as any carbohydrases production. The SSF of U. rigida with both fungi resulted in the maximum xylanase and β-glucosidase activities. The maximum cellulase activity was achieved using Gracilaria sp. and U. rigida in the SSF with A. niger. The protein content increased in C. tomentosum after SSF with A. ibericus and in U. rigida after SSF with both fungi. Moreover, U. rigida’s carbohydrate content decreased by 54% and 62% after SSF with A. ibericus and A. niger, respectively. Seaweed bioprocessing using SSF is a sustainable and cost-effective strategy that simultaneously produces high-value enzymes and nutritionally enhanced seaweeds to be included in aquafeeds.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of the UIDB/04469/2020 unit; by LABBELS (Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems), LA/P/0029/2020, and by the project BIOECONORTE (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000070).