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Chlorococcum amblystomatis is a novel microalga with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), with applications for food, feed, nutraceuticals, and biotechnology. These applications require the use of food-grade green solvents such as ethanol (EtOH) for lipid extraction, which can be associated with lower lipid recovery yields if not assisted with mechanical means. Ultrasonication can increase the recovery of lipids and omega-3 FAs, however, the impact on polar lipids remains poorly understood. In this study, we propose a comparative lipidomic analysis through liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) of extracts obtained with EtOH combined with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and conventional extraction with dichloromethane:methanol (DCM) or EtOH. Extraction with UAE improved the recovery yield of EtOH alone from 2.3 ± 0.3 to 14.6 ± 0.6%, which is comparable to lipid recovery from DCM (16.7 ± 0.8%). The fatty acid profile of UAE extracts showed no differences in comparison with DCM. Lipidomic LC–MS/MS analysis showed that UAE allowed lipid extracts rich in polar lipids containing omega-3 PUFAs with lipid yield and lipid profile similar to DCM to be obtained. Taken together these results demonstrate the effectiveness of UAE in obtaining extracts rich in omega-3 glycolipids and phospholipids from C. amblystomatis for different biotechnological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that produce a variety of molecules with beneficial properties for applications in fields such as food and feed, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. In particular, polar lipids from algae are gaining interest because they have been associated with bioactive properties and health benefits. Cyanobacteria have been little studied, particularly in the case of Gloeothece sp. whose polar lipidome is unknown. We have used a high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry-based approach to identify the polar lipidome of Gloeothece sp. and have also evaluated their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Results obtained allowed the identification of 162 lipid molecular species from glycolipids, betaine lipids, and phospholipid categories. These molecular species were esterified to fatty acids (FA) with C16 and C18 chain length and with a degree of unsaturation (DoU) ranging between 0 and 4. Some of the lipid species identified in the lipidome are recognized for their bioactive properties. Therefore, the antioxidant capacity of the polar lipid extracts was evaluated against superoxide (O2·−) and nitric oxide (·NO) radicals and the anti-inflammatory capacity using the COX-2 Enzyme Activity Assay Kit. The lipid extracts displayed antioxidant capacity toward O2·− and ·NO radicals in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 of 939.8 ± 15.6 and 1033.7 ± 17.9 μg mL−1, respectively. The extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity by the inhibition of the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) via inhibition of COX-2, with the lowest concentration tested of 10 μg mL−1 inhibiting the production of PGH2 by about 58%. Overall, these results suggest that the extracts from Gloeothece could be a source of natural product, fostering increasing interest of cyanobacterial exploitation to produce food and metabolites with potential bioactive properties useful for nutraceutical, cosmetics, and medicinal applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulva species, green macroalgae, are widely distributed across the globe, being one of the most heavily traded edible seaweeds. Nonetheless, although this genus has been largely used in scientific studies, its lipidome remains rather unexplored. The present study sheds light over the lipid profile of Ulva rigida produced in a land-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry for molecular lipid species identification. The lipidome of U. rigida revealed the presence of distinct beneficial n-3 fatty acids for human health, namely alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). A total of 87 molecular species of glycolipids, 58 molecular species of betaine lipids, and 57 molecular species of phospholipids were identified in the lipidome of U. rigida including some species bearing PUFA and with described bioactive properties. Overall, the present study contributes to the valorization and quality validation of sustainably farmed U. rigida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]