Fatty acid composition of several wild microalgae and cyanobacteria, with a focus on eicosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic and α-linolenic acids for eventual dietary uses

摘要

A total of 13 species of microalgae and 14 strains of cyanobacteria, collected directly in the Portuguese coast and lagoons, were characterized for their fatty acid contents, focusing on two with a market potential - i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); and another already with alternative (yet somehow more expensive) natural sources - i.e. a-linolenic (ALA) acid. The purpose of this work was their eventual inclusion as additives in food or feed, ALA was the most abundant PUFA in Nannochloropsis sp. (0.616 ± 0.081 mg_(FA).L_(culture)~(-1).d~(-1)), and EPA in Phaeodactylum tricornutum (0.148± 0.013 mg_(FA).L_(culture)~(-1).d~(-1)); Pavlova lutheri was particularly rich in EPA (0.290±0.005mg_(FA)L_(culture)~(-1).d~(-1)) and DHA (0.140±0.037mg_(FA).L_(culture)~(-1).d~(-1)). Despite several previous reports on similar topics and encompassing some of our microalgal species, the wild nature of our strains accounts for the novelty of this work - in addition to the characterization of a few wild cyanobacteria. Eustigmatophyceae class was the best producer of ALA, while Prymnesiophyceae was the best for EPA and ALA. Nodularia harveyana exhibited the highest ALA level (0.611 ±0.022 mg_(FA).L_(culture)~(-1).d~(-1)) and Gloeothece sp. was highest in EPA (0.030 ±0.004 mg_(FA).L_(culture)~(-1)d~(-1)).