Jellyfish are recorded with increasing frequency and magnitude in many coastal\nareas and several species display biological features comparable to the most popular Asiatic\nedible jellyfish. The biochemical and antioxidant properties of wild gelatinous biomasses, in\nterms of nutritional and nutraceutical values, are still largely unexplored. In this paper, three of\nthe most abundant and commonly recorded jellyfish species (Aurelia sp.1, Cotylorhiza\ntuberculata and Rhizostoma pulmo) in the Mediterranean Sea were subject to investigation.\nA sequential enzymatic hydrolysis of jellyfish proteins was set up by pepsin and\ncollagenase treatments of jellyfish samples after aqueous or hydroalcoholic protein\nextraction. The content and composition of proteins, amino acids, phenolics, and fatty\nacids of the three species were recorded and compared. Protein content (mainly represented\nby collagen) up to 40% of jellyfish dry weight were found in two of the three jellyfish\nspecies (C. tuberculata and R. pulmo), whereas the presence of -3 and -6\npolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was significantly higher in the zooxanthellate jellyfish C. tuberculata only. Remarkable antioxidant ability was also recorded from both\nproteinaceous and non proteinaceous extracts and the hydrolyzed protein fractions in all\nthe three species. The abundance of collagen, peptides and other bioactive molecules make\nthese Mediterranean gelatinous biomasses a largely untapped source of natural compounds\nof nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and pharmacological interest.
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