Cereal Chem 61:402 - 406.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Use of Algae Dunaliella as a Protein Supplement in Bread.

K. F. Finney, Y. Pomeranz, and B. L. Bruinsma. Copyright 1984 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Commercial preparations of the halotolerant and osmotolerant algae of the genus Dunaliella are unicellular green algae that contain large quantities of protein and intracellular glycerol, 3-5% beta-carotene, and about 30% salt. The commercially available dried alga (alga 1), the alga from which the beta-carotene had been removed (alga 2), and that from which beta-carotene, glycerol, and salt had been removed (alga 3), together with their water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions, were evaluated for functional properties in breadmaking. Algae 1,2, and 3 contained 24.5, 25.6, and 55.3% protein (N X 6.25, 14%mb), respectively. Gas production of the 90:10 wheat flour and algae blends was only 7.4 and 5.1 gasograph units for algae 1 and 2, respectively, because of high salt levels. Gas productions for blends with the salt-free, water insolubles of algae 1 and 2, however, were satisfactory and approached the calculated value of 49.4 gasograph units. The commercial conditions for the removal of beta-carotene (alga 2) and glycerol and salt (alga 3) adversely affected the loaf-volume potentials of the water-insoluble fractions of algae 2 and 3. The contribution of the high-protein, water-insoluble fraction of alga 1 to loaf volume was essentially equal to that of the 10% of replaced wheat flour. The chlorophyll of the algae, although probably unobjectionable in very dark specialty breads, would be highly objectionable in light-colored breads.