Abstract

CARVALHO, Eduarda; FERNANDES, Joana; MELO, Rafaela  and  BALTAZAR, Ana Lúcia. Arsenic: a toxic potential of Nori seaweed?. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2020, n.22, pp.52-54. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2020.2210.

Seaweed is a source of new bioactive compounds, such as some polysaccharides, which are not found in terrestrial plants and can confer beneficial health properties. According to the authors Desideri, Mac Minagail and Zhao YF, it is known to contain high levels of arsenic in different chemical forms. The main aim of this literature review is to assess the levels of toxicity of arsenic, that is, the minimum amount that induces an adverse reaction on the health of the consumer of the Porphyra algae species. The preparation of this article was base on a literature review on the scientific research bases "Science Direct" and "Google Scholar". Inorganic arsenic, which has toxicity, was detected in high concentrations only in hijiki algae (Sargassum fusiforme), and Nori did not present significant values for this elemento (19.2± 8.4 mg/kg).   Nori algae when consumed in moderation (not exceeding 12 g/day) the concentration of inorganic arsenic is not very high, so it is not considered toxic for consumers.

Keywords : Seaweed Nori; Arsenic; Inorganic arsenic; Health; Toxicity.

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