Evaluación de la composición nutricional y fitoquímica de macroalgas marinas asociadas al ecosistema de manglar del Pacífico colombiano

Background and Aims: Marine algae are of great interest for their bioactive compounds with biotechnological applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agronomic industries. The objective of this work was to determine the nutritional and phytochemical composition of three macroalgae associated with the roots of Rhizophora mangle: Bostrychia calliptera, Rhizoclonium riparium and Catenella impudica.Methods: Samples were collected in the mangrove swamp of Buenaventura Bay, in the Colombian Pacific. Nutritional composition was evaluated by ash, protein, crude fiber and mineral analysis, according to AOAC protocols. Extracts were obtained with acetone (99,5%). A preliminary screening for secondary metabolites was performed and GC-MS was used to identify the compounds. Key results: Among the three species analyzed, variations were found in the percentage of ash (16.9-31.5), crude fiber (2.52-30.2), protein (14.6-25) and nitrogen (2.3-4). The most representative minerals were potassium (30,100-35,000 mg kg-1), sulfur (29,400-70,600 mg kg-1), iron (1880-9180 mg kg-1), sodium (7330-46,700 mg kg-1), magnesium (7960-16,600 mg kg-1), calcium (5510-6860 mg kg-1), phosphorus (800-1270 mg kg-1) and manganese (204-4730 mg kg-1). Alkaloids, sterols, terpenes, cardiotonic glycosides and saponins were detected in the extracts of all species. By GC-MS analysis, 14 volatile compounds were identified in the extracts of Bostry-chia calliptera (eight compounds), Catenella impudica (2) and Rhizoclonium riparium (7). The common compounds in all species were eicosane, 2-methyloctacosane, 2-methyleicosane and 3-methyleicosane.Conclusions: The studied macroalgae showed a high content of essential nutrients, such as potassium, sulfur, iron and manganese, suggesting their potential as biofertilizers or supplements. In addition, several of the identified compounds have demonstrated biological activities relevant to pharmacology and cosmetology. These findings highlight the potential of macroalgae and contribute to the knowledge for the sustainable use of mangrove resources in the Colombian Pacific.