Volume 183, 15 September 2015, Pages 122–128
Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta macroalgae: A source of health promoting phytochemicals
Highlights
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- Lipophilic fraction of Portuguese Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta macroalgae was studied.
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- The four macroalgae present a high content in fatty acids and sterols.
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- Codium tomentosum shows to be a valuable source of stigmasterol and α-tocopherol.
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- The studied macroalgae are rich in phytochemicals important in human diet and health.
Abstract
A detailed study of the lipophilic composition of Codium tomentosum, Ulva lactuca, Gracilaria vermiculophylla and Chondrus crispus
macroalgae cultivated in the Portuguese coast was carried out by gas
chromatography–mass spectrometry before and after alkaline hydrolysis.
Their long-chain aliphatic alcohols and monoglycerides compositions are
reported for the first time. Additionally, other new compounds were also
identified: phytol and neophytadiene in C. tomentosum, U. lactuca and G. vermiculophylla and stigmasterol, α-tocopherol and 24-methylenecholesterol in C. tomentosum. The lipophilic fraction of the studied macroalgae are mainly constituted by fatty acids (110.1–1030.5 mg kg−1 of dry material) and sterols (14.8–1309.1 mg kg−1 of dry material). C. tomentosum showed to be a valuable source of stigmasterol (1229.0 mg kg−1 of dry material) and α-tocopherol (21.8 mg kg−1
of dry material). These results are a relevant contribution for the
valorisation of these macroalgae species as sources of valuable
phytochemicals.
Keywords
- Macroalgae;
- Ulva lactuca;
- Codium tomentosum;
- Chondrus crispus;
- Gracilaria vermiculophylla;
- Lipophilic composition
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+351 234370711; fax: +351 234370084.
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