Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of fatty acids found in aquatic algae

The fatty acid profile of lipids in eight species of algae grown under controlled conditions was studied, as part of a search for oil-producing algae. Fatty acid composition was species specific, with changes occuring in the relative amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids of cells cultivated under different conditions and during various growth phases. All green algae (Chlorococcum oleofaciens, Chlorella ellipsoidea, Chlorella vulgaris, Stigeoclonium sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus) synthesized C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1 C18:2 and C18:3; C16:3 appeared in C. vulgaris. Chrysophytacean synthesized C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C18:4, C20:3, C20:4 and C22:5. Navicula pelliculosa, a Chrysophytacean, contains a great amount of C16:0 and C16:1, the remainder being C14:0, C18:1, C20:4 and C20:5. The fatty acid profile of the blue-green Cyanophycean Spirulina sp. and Microcystis aeruginosa is the same as in the green algae.