Abstract
A screening of the total lipids and fatty acids (FAs) of 11 brown algae species of the genus Cystoseira (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) from the Tunisian coast is presented and discussed. Cystoseira species showed low total lipid content, ranging from 19.8 to 68.2 mg·g–1 dry weight. Fourteen major FAs were detected in the lipid extract of Cystoseira. The FA profile of lipid extracts was characterized by high amounts of saturated FAs (SFAs) ranging from 40.51% to 57.91% of total FAs, with predominance of the lipid fraction of palmitic acid (>30% of total FAs). The arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) levels were found to be significantly high, ranging from 8% to 16% of total FAs. Multivariate analyses of FA composition showed low geographic differentiation, providing further evidence of intraspecific diversity. Cystoseira crinita, Cystoseira schiffneri, Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta, and Cystoseira sedoides stood out for their low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)/SFA ratios, low n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios, high unsaturation, and low atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices, suggesting high nutritional value.
Highlights
From the Tunisian coast is presented and discussed
The fatty acids (FA) profile of lipid extracts was characterized by high amounts of saturated FAs (SFAs) ranging from 40.51% to 57.91% of total FAs, with predominance of the lipid fraction of palmitic acid
To assess the nutritional and lipid quality of Cystoseira species, health lipid indices were estimated in accordance with the Ulbricht and Southgate (1991) method based on FA composition: Para evaluar la calidad nutricional y lipídica de las especies de Cystoseira, se estimaron índices lipídicos de acuerdo con el método de Ulbricht y Southgate (1991), que se basa en la composición de los AG: IA
Summary
In the Mediterranean Sea, the Cystoseira are canopy-forming algae that dominate the rocky infralittoral zone This genus comprises 42 species distributed mainly in the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean (Guiry and Guiry 2016). It is hard to distinguish species and varieties of the genus Cystoseira due mainly to the high morphological plasticity of the taxa and to the active process of speciation of the genus (Ercegovič 1952, Amico 1995). Classification of this genus based on chemical compounds, such as sterols and terpenes, started in the 1990s (Piattelli 1990, Amico 1995). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the FA profile of some endemic Mediterranean species of Cystoseira
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