| Summary: | Edible seaweeds are a good source of antioxidants, dietary fibers, amino acids, fatty acids and minerals. Previous studies had demonstrated that the addition of seaweeds in the form of powder or extract can improve the properties of food products. Usually, conventional methods of extraction are used to extract bioactive compounds in seaweed such as hot water and solvent extraction. Hot water extraction may result in nutrient degradation due to the high temperature used while the use of solvent may raise the toxicity and environmental issues. Therefore, microbial fermentation seems to be one of the interesting alternatives to conventional methods of extraction since it can improve the biological functionalities and enhance the bioavailability of nutrients in seaweed. In this study, solid state fermentation (SSF) was conducted on three different varieties (green flower-GF, white giant-G and purple giant-PG) of Kappaphycus spp. by using Aspergillus oryzae at 30 °C for 4 days with 70% initial moisture content and 10% inoculum level. The effects of SSF on the physicochemical properties of seaweeds were investigated in terms of phenolic profile, amino acid composition and volatile compounds. The concentration of one of the main phenolic compound that contributes to its antioxidant activity in seaweed, caffeic acid was significantly enhanced after SSF. A similar trend was also noticed for total amino acids. Major hydrocarbon volatile compounds; hexadecane, pentadecane and heptadecane were also increased in concentration. An increased in bioavailability of phenolic compounds, amino acids and volatiles after SSF will be beneficial to be added as a food ingredient to improve the nutritional, taste and textural properties of food products. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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