Fatty acids and amino acids

The differences in daytime and nightime production of fatty acids and amino acids in phytoplanktons was evaluated. In 24-hour time-series experiments, the production rates were analyzed by coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and radioactive tracing of isotopic carbon. The fatty acid composition of the photosynthetic products was found to be maximum between 9:00 and 12:00 hours. There was no definite pattern observed for amino acids. The production rates for both fatty acids and amino acids were lower than those observed for water-extractable carbohydrates and was attibuted to nitogen deficiency in phytoplanktons.