Ascophyllum nodosum is a brown seaweed common in Arctic tidal waters. We have collected A. nodosum samples from the Barents Sea (BS), Irminger Sea (IS), and Norwegian Sea (NS) in different reproductive stages and have evaluated their biochemical composition, radical scavenging potential, and health risks. The total content of dominating carbohydrates (fucoidan, mannitol, alginate, and laminaran) ranged from 347 mg/g DW in NS to 528 mg/g DW in BS. The proportion of two main structural monosaccharides of fucoidan (fucose and xylose) differed significantly between the seas and reproductive phase, reaching a maximum at the fertile phase in the BS sample. Polyphenols and flavonoids totals were highest in NS A. nodosum samples and increased on average in the following order: BS < IS < NS. A positive correlation of free radical scavenging activity for seaweed extracts with polyphenols content was observed. The concentration of elements in A. nodosum from the Arctic seas region was in the following order: Ca > Mg > Sr > Fe > Al > Zn > As total > Rb > Mn > Ba > Cu > Co. Seaweeds from BS had the lowest metal pollution index (MPI) of 38.4. A. nodosum from IS had the highest MPI of 83. According to the calculated target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) values, Arctic A. nodosum samples pose no carcinogenic risk to adult and child health and are safe for regular consumption. Our results suggest that the Arctic A. nodosum has a remarkable potential for food and pharmaceutical industries as an underestimated source of polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids.

Fucus distichus L. is the dominant canopy-forming macroalga in the rocky intertidal areas of the Arctic and Subarctic. In the present study, the impact of the geographic location of F. distichus collected in the Baffin Sea (BfS), Norwegian Sea (NS), White Sea (WS), and Barents Sea (BS) on the variations in biochemical composition, antiradical properties, and health risk was evaluated. The accumulation of main carbohydrates (fucoidan, mannitol, and alginic acid) varied from 335 mg/g dry weight (DW) in NS to 445 mg/g DW in BS. The highest level of the sum of polyphenols and flavonoids was found in samples of F. distichus from WS and was located in the following ranking order: BS < BfS < NS < WS. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of seaweed is correlated with its phenolic content. It is notable that in most Arctic F. distichus samples, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Ni were not detected or their concentrations were below the limit of quantification. According to calculated targeted hazard quotient and hazard index values, all studied samples of Arctic F. distichus are safe for daily consumption as they do not pose a carcinogenic risk to the health of adults or children. The results of this study support the rationale for using Arctic F. distichus as a rich source of polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids with important antiradical activity. We believe that our data will help to effectively use the potential of F. distichus and expand the use of this algae as a promising and safe raw material for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The Iceland scallop from the Barents Sea is a commercially important species with promising aquaculture potential, but information on the biochemical properties of its tissues is limited. Our analysis of the adductor muscle, gonad, and mantle of this bivalve mollusk from coastal waters provided insight into its amino acid composition. Biochemical analysis revealed predominant levels of glycine (11.8, 11.5, and 9.6 mg g⁻¹, respectively) and arginine (11.2, 8.3, and 5.8 mg g⁻¹, respectively). While multivariate comparisons did not reveal significant differences in amino acid composition between the tissues, single comparisons showed significantly higher levels of arginine and leucine in the adductor muscle compared to those of the mantle. The abundant presence of glycine and arginine underscores their importance in maintaining basic physiological processes, consistent with other scallop species. Redundancy analysis identified water depth and scallop gonad index as influential factors shaping the amino acid profile in the adductor muscle. In the case of the mantle, water temperature emerged as the main driver of amino acid content. Our results confirm the richness of essential amino acids in scallop by-products and highlight their potential for human consumption, production of feed ingredients for farmed animals, and nutraceuticals.

Brown algae are a valuable renewable bioresource and are also important organisms to monitor due to anthropogenic impacts in the Arctic. In both cases, the content of natural elements and their potential seasonal variations are important knowledge for developing a monitoring program and planning biomass collection. The purpose of this work was a comparative study of the influence of the reproductive phase and biochemical characteristics on the elemental composition of Ascophyllum nodosum from the Barents Sea, the Irminger Sea and the Norwegian Sea. The content of polysaccharides (alginic acid, laminaran, fucoidan and mannitol) and 12 elements was studied. It was shown that the content of Fe, Al, Co, Cu correlates significantly in pairs, regardless of the presence of receptors in algae (r = 0.71–0.95, p < 0.05). It has been shown that the content of alginic acid significantly correlates with Co, Ca, Cu, As, Rb (r = –0.95, –0.89, –0.89, –0.88, –0.81, p ˂ 0.05, respectively) in sterile algae A. nodosum. Also for sterile individuals, a direct correlation of mannitol with Ca, Cu, Co, Rb, Sr, Al, Ba, Fe, Mn was noted (r = 0.98, 0.95, 0.93, 0.92, 0.91, 0.89, 0.82, 0.78, 0.76, р ˂ 0.05, respectively) and polyphenols with Zn (r = 0.94 at р ˂ 0.05) and As (r = 0.85 at р ˂ 0.05). For the first time, a direct correlation between the accumulation of alginic acid and fucoidan has been revealed for A. nodosum from the Arctic seas, which is not associated with the reproductive phase of the algae.

A fundamentally new molded fish product has been developed, characterized by the use of dried salted pollock fillet and gelatin solution as a structure-forming agent in the formulation. An algorithm for manufacturing the product has been developed, and the main prescription components have been determined. The three-component composite composition of the new molded product has been optimized, including gelatin solution and crushed salted-dried flounder-ruff meat and pollock meat. The recommended shelf life of the product has been determined.