Abstract
The lipid composition of five species of green seaweeds (Chaetomorpha linum, Rhizoclonium riparium, Ulva intestinalis, Ulva lactuca, and Ulva prolifera) grown in fish pond aquaculture systems was studied. In particular, the overall fatty acid (FA) profile and the FA profile of each main lipid class found in these seaweed species were thoroughly analyzed. It was found that every seaweed had a specific FA profile, whose specificities were rendered more obvious with the study of the FA profile per lipid class. However, between U. lactuca and U. intestinalis, there were only minor differences. Nonetheless, it was possible to identify significant differences between the palmitic acid content in the phospholipid (PL) and glycolipid (GL) classes of each seaweed. A clear distinction between the FA profiles of R. riparium and C. linum, which belong to the Cladophorales order, and those of Ulva genus, Ulvales order, was also determined. Moreover, there were also differences among lipid classes, yielding large contrasts between PLs + GLs and triacylglycerols (TAGs) as well as between monoacylglycerols (MAGs) and free fatty acids (FFAs). This study also found evidence supporting the location of particular FAs in specific TAG positions. FA profiles have the potential to be used as a chemotaxonomic tool in green seaweeds, providing a simple method to check authenticity of seaweed used as food.
Highlights
Seaweeds are still a largely undervalued marine resource
Whereas U. prolifera is very rich in ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), R. riparium is much richer in ω3 PUFA
The fish pond aquaculture production system showed to enable the rearing of meagre and the growth of different green seaweed species with specific fat fraction characteristics
Summary
Seaweeds are still a largely undervalued marine resource. Besides, they can be produced in aquaculture systems, enabling a better control of their characteristics and composition. The seaweed species (C. linum, R. riparium, U. intestinalis, U. lactuca, and U. prolifera) and the contrast between different lipid classes (TAG, PL+GL, MAG, and FFA) were the two studied factors. The seaweed U. prolifera displays a high linoleic acid (18:2 ω6) content, 22.0 ± 0.8%, differing from other species of the same genus.
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