Fatty Acids Profiling from An Antarctic Microalga, Pseudococcomyxa sp.

Abstract

The main source of valuable fatty acids such as eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that are important for human health are from marine fish. However, fatty acids derived from fish have many downsides such as contaminated with environmental pollution. Plus, the marine fish sources are limited due to several reasons. Hence, microalgae are seen to be potential alternative source of these valuable fatty acids. Microalgae are equipped with distinctive adaptive mechanisms that allow them to survive in all sorts of habitat even in subzero temperature such as in Antarctic. One of them is increased in their fatty acid levels. This research aims to characterize one species of Antarctic microalga isolated from polar ice of genus thought to be Pseudococcomyxa sp. and to profile its fatty acid compositions. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was profiled using gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS) using methanol as solvent. Generally, the morphological characteristics of possible genus of Pseudococcomyxa sp. matched the actual Pseudococcomyxa sp. The total fatty acids percentage in Pseudococcomyxa sp. cultured in Bold’s Basal Medium (BBM) had been successfully identified using methanol as solvent which is 53.13% with linolelaidic acid as the highest percentage (27.15%). The fatty acid compositions of Antarctic microalga, Pseudococcomyxa sp. which were successfully profiled have many potentials to be exploited in the future especially in pharmaceutical and food industry. Keywords: Antarctic, fatty acids, food, microalgae, pharmaceutical