Seaweeds from Vietnam used for functional food, medicine and biofertilizer

Several Vietnamese seaweed species have economic importance as food for humans, as industrial materials, as ingredients in traditional medicine, and as biofertilizers. The nutritional values of nine representative Vietnamese seaweed species were analyzed. In this report, all of the species studied are rich in proteins, lipids (especially polyunsaturated fatty acids), vitamins, pigments, and macro- and micro-elements. The effect of the physiological activities of the green alga, Ulva reticulata, on hepatic fatty acid metabolism were examined in mice. The results indicate that Vietnamese seaweeds are abundant and have high quality materials for industrial and agricultural purposes.