Determination of fatty acids in algae by capillary gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Abstract

Capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to determine fatty acids in algae of the genera Chlorella and Scenedesmus, and in the blue-green alga Spirulina platensis. Most algae studied were cultivated autotrophically; Chlorella kessleri was also cultivated heterotrophically. In addition to commonly occurring fatty acids in green and blue-green algae, further acids, not previously described in these organisms, were detected. The novel features of these fatty acids were the branching position, cyclopropane ring, number and position of double bonds and chain length.