engleski

The fatty acid profiles of selected macroalgal species from the Adriatic Sea

Lately, there is an increasing demand for alternative natural sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) due to their health benefits of reducing the risk of heart diseases. Macroalgae were shown as potential sources of ω3 and ω6 fatty acids and to assess their suitability, species collected from the Adriatic Sea were investigated for their fatty acid profiles by the gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Macroalgae included in this study were as follow ; Amphiroa rigida and Asparagopsis taxiformis (red species), Cystoseira compressa and Cystoseira amentacea (brown species), Codium adhaerens and Ulva lactuca (green species). The obtained results indicated the significant differences in fatty acid profiles between and within algal groups. Red and brown macroalgae were generally richer in ω3 and ω6 fatty acids with eicosapentaenoic (C20:5, EPA) and arachidonic acids (C20:4) as the most represented, while green macroalgae indicated higher levels of saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (C16:0). Amphiroa rigida was identified as the most promising source of ω3 fatty acid EPA, amongst all species investigated, and there is a possibility of using this alga as a good source of this essential fatty acid.

macroalgae ; saturated fatty acids ; ω3 and ω6 fatty acids

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