Abstract
We determined stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions (δ13C and δ15N) and nine trace element abundances (Mg, P, Ca, V, Mn, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Ba) of boiled and salted wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) from South Korea, China, and two areas in Japan, Sanriku and Naruto, to evaluate the utility of the combination of isotope and trace element analyses in the discrimination of the geographical origin of wakame. Wakame from Naruto was characterized by relatively higher δ15N values than those from other areas, whereas the wakame from China had relatively higher abundances of Mg, V, Mn, Zn, and Ba. Based on δ13C and δ15N values and trace element abundances (Mg, V, Mn, Zn, and Ba), the wakame investigated was divided into the following three groups with respect to geographical origin : Naruto, China, and other areas (Sanriku and South Korea), with 100 % and 96 % discrimination being achieved for Naruto and China, respectively. No significant difference was found between wakame samples from Sanriku and South Korea. Thus, combination analysis of stable isotope composition and trace element abundance can be employed as a tool with great potential for the discrimination of the geographical origin of wakame.
