Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the amino acid composition and digestion characteristics in a simulated gastric solution and a simulated intestinal solution of laver and kelp paper foods. The results indicated that both laver paper and kelp paper contained 8 essential amino acids, 2 semi-essential amino acids and 8 other amino acids. The content of amino acids in laver paper was 19.62 g/100 g. Flavor amino acids accounted for more than 20% of total amino acids in both paper foods. The digestibility of laver paper was 57% after 5 h of simulated gastric digestion compared with 36% for regular laver. The digestibility after 5 h of simulated gastric digestion was 18% for kelp paper and 13% for regular kelp. Laver paper and kelp paper showed a digestibility of respectively 78% and 28% after 5 h of simulate intestinal digestion, which were both much higher that that of their respective raw materials. In conclusion, laver paper and kelp paper can meet the FAO/WHO amino acid reference pattern and have excellent gastrointestinal digestion characteristics.

Key words: laver paper, kelp paper, amino acids, simulated gastric digestion, simulated intestinal digestion