Fatty Acid Composition of Marine Microalgae in Indonesia
Fatty Acid Composition of Marine Microalgae in Indonesia
Fatty Acid Composition of Marine Microalgae in Indonesia
Research Article
Recently, most research into efcient their good nutritional quality, high lipid content
microalgae oil production is being done by the and fatty acids prole and composition (Brown
private sector but they have failed to obtain a et al., 1997; Brown, 2004; Reitan et al., 1997;
good strain of microalgae that need certain Volkman et al., 1980, 1989, 1991). The purpose
specications such as faster growth-rate of this research is to study the fatty acids prole
compared to terrestrial crops and high lipid and composition of selected marine microalgae
content. The difculties in efcient bio-fuel that are not only used as live feed for
production from microalgae lie in nding aquaculture in Indonesia, but also for selected
microalgae strain with a high lipid content, and a microalgae that have potential for bio-diesel.
fast growth rate that is not too difcult to harvest
and a cost effective cultivation system MATERIALS AND METHODS
(Pratoomyot et al., 2005).
Microalgae strains
Use of microalgae as bio-fuel is considered
a viable option as (a) microalgae can produce Marine microalgae used in this investigation was
more lipid per acre than soybeans and other oil obtained from The Research Institute for Marine
seed crops, (b) microalgae can grow quicker Fisheries at Lampung in Indonesia. Strains used
compared to terrestrial plants, (c) mass were Nitzschia sp., Thalassiosira sp.,
cultivation of microalgae is possible since it needs Skeletonema costatum, Chaetoceros calcitrans
less water compared to terrestrial crops, and (d) (Bacillariophyceae), Spirulina platensis,
microalgae cultivation could be potentially more Oscillatoria sp. (Cyanophyceae),
cost effective than conventional farming Nannochloropsis oculata (Eustigmatophyceae),
(Andersen, 2005). However, one major Porphyridium cruentum (Rhodophyceae),
disadvantage of microalgae for bio-fuel Tetraselmis suecica and Isochrysis galbana
production is the low biomass concentration in (Prasinophyceae).
the microalgae culture due to limited light
penetration, which in combination with the small Algal cultivation and harvest
size of microalgae cells makes harvesting of algae
biomass relatively costly. All of the microalgae were cultivated in 100 liter
containers using F/2 and Walne as the cultures
There are some microalgae of which their medium (Andersen, 2005) with initial cell
nucleic acid and lipid content have been used to density of 1.0 x 106 cell L-1 (Table 1). The
produce bio-fuel. Strains like Scenedesmus, microalgae culture was illuminated through a 40
Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselmis sp. and watt/m 2 uorescent light for 24 hours
Spirulina sp. are some common ones (Becker, continuously. Microalgae was harvested at a
1995). Furthermore, many microalgae experts stationary phase for every replicate. The
have examined lipid content in some biomass of microalgae was harvested at a
microalgae such as Botryococcus braunii, centrifugation of 3000 rpm for 30 minutes. After
Isochrysis galbana, Tetraselmis chui and T. that, the microalgae sample was freezer dried
suecica (Thompson et al., 1992; Qin, 2005). and stored at -50C until analysis.
Most importantly, microalgae have the potential
to be used as a continuous source of bio-fuel Fatty acid analysis
(Qin, 2005; Chisti, 2007; Chisti & Yan, 2011).
At the stationary phase, microalgae were
Recently, most research on microalgae harvested by vacuum pump and centrifugation.
have focused on industrial aquaculture as Fatty acids were analysed by the GC (Gas
rotifer, dapnia, artemia and copepod feed which Chromatography) method at a Research
are fed to late larvae and juvenile crustacean, Laboratory (LPPT-UGM) at the University of
bivalve, gastropod and sh. A number of Gajah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
microalgae have been studied intensively for
WIDIANINGSIH ET AL. 77
Class Chlorophyceae
Chlorella sp. Walne 30-33 30-31 (7-8)
Dunaliella salina Walne 29-30 30-31 (7-8)
Class Prasinophyceae
Tetraselmis suecica Walne 29-30 30-39 (7-8)
Isochrysis galbana Walne 28-30 30-32 (7-8)
Class Eustigmatophyceae
Nannochloropsis oculata Walne 27-30 30-35 (7-8)
Class Cyanophyceae
Spirulina platensis F/2 28-31 28-32 (7-8)
Oscillatoria sp. F/2 28-30 33-37 (7-8)
Class Rhodophyceae
Porphyridium cruentum F/2 28-31 25-28 (7-8)
Spirulina platensis Oscillatoria sp. Chlorella sp. Tetraselmis sp. Isochrysis sp. Nannochloropsis sp.
C12:0 Dodecanoic (Lauric) 0.39 0.06 0.31 0.09 0.61 0.13 1.67 0.20 2.84 0.12 0.56 0.10
C14:0 Tetradecanoic (Myristic Acid) 1.01 0.02 0 8.62 0.78 8.59 1.51 11.88 0.02 9.33 0.95
C16:0 Palmitic Acid 66.05 2.36 47.33 7.76 30.99 2.55 53.49 1.55 48.42 0.62 32.19 1.04
C18:0 Stearic Acid 14.16 1.32 9.78 1.33 9.00 0.50 12.2 0.57 9.16 1.08 14.58 1.46
C20:0 Eicosanoic (Arachidic) 0.32 0.13 0.42 0.04 17.85 1.12 1.71 0.08 0.36 0.10 13.4 0.99
C22:0 Docosanoic (behenic acid) 0.06 0.01 0.93 0.04 0.10 0.03 0.48 0.06 1.48 0.84 0.08 0.02
C24:0 Tetracosanoic (Lignoceric) 0 0.15 0.02 0.23 0.02 0.14 0.01 0.05 0.03 0.11 0.05
Total SFA 81.99 3.91 58.92 9.27 67.4 0.06 78.28 3.76 74.14 4.70 70.25 0.49
C16:1 Palmitolic Acid 4.14 0.44 12.19 0.70 25.68 2.58 4.85 1.00 2.42 0.73 22.4 0.98
C18:1 Oleic Acid 5.31 0.64 24.85 2.06 0.37 0.02 7.54 0.55 0.18 0.02 1.29 0.42
Total MUFA 9.45 1.07 37.04 2.70 26.05 2.59 12.39 0.50 2.6 0.75 23.69 1.05
C18:2 Linoleic Acid 4.55 0.19 1.82 0.70 0.96 0.01 4.79 0.17 8.67 1.10 0.61 0.13
C18:3 Linolenic Acid 2.62 0.45 0.49 0.03 0.05 0.01 2.22 0.23 11.57 0.41 0.04 0.01
C18:4 Octadecatetraenoic
C20:53 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 0.22 0.04 0.16 0.01 0.17 0.01 0.19 0.01 1.97 0.90 0.32 0.11
C22:6 Docosapentaenoic Acid 0 0.09 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.04 0.01 0 0.02 0.01
Total PUFA 7.39 0.66 2.56 0.58 1.19 0.03 7.24 0.41 22.212.41 0.99 0.05
FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF MARINE MICROALGAE IN INDONESIA
WIDIANINGSIH ET AL. 79
Nitzschia sp. Thalassiosira sp. Chaetoceros calcitran Skeletonema costatum Porphyridium cruentum
C12:0 Dodecanoic (Lauric) 0.49 0.10 6.83 3.51 2.01 0.97 2.05 0.06 0.28 0.01
C14:0 Tetradecanoic (Myristic Acid) 0.05 0.02 16.56 9.10 3.17 0.67 9.34 1.01 0.46 0.01
C16:0 Palmitic Acid 38.87 1.04 46.01 16.11 47.68 1.07 43.34 1.05 67.99 1.00
C18:0 Stearic Acid 9.14 1.05 0.52 4.64 4.6 0.77 5.11 0.56 3.08 0.77
C20:0 Eicosanoic (Arachidic) 0.1 0.06 2.42 1.46 9.97 1.02 1.23 0.43 1.16 0.13
C22:0 Docosanoic (behenic acid) 4.1 1.11 1.73 1.62 1.83 0.92 3.67 0.50 0
C24:0 Tetracosanoic (Lignoceric) 13.6 1.05 2.99 6.09 4.1 0.20 4.69 0.98 0.07 0.01
Total SFA 66.35 4.43 77.06 26.36 73.36 1.74 69.43 2.42 73.04 1.60
C16:1 Palmitolic Acid 18.61 1.01 0.5 9.6 6.94 1.02 1.17 0.82 0.88 0.01
C18:1 Oleic Acid 2.14 0.36 5.4 2.32 6.67 0.58 0.62 0.61 6.8 0.1
Total MUFA 20.75 1.38 5.9 8.56 13.61 1.59 1.79 1.43 7.68 0.11
C18:2 Linoleic Acid 9.65 1.02 1.34 4.45 1.6 0.10 1.41 0.59 1.81 0.02
C18:3 Linolenic Acid 2.26 0.93 7.93 3.30 0.02 0.01 25.31 1.15 0.29 0.02
C18:4 Octadecatetraenoic
C20:5n-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 0 1.24 1.15 0.1 0.08 1.14 0.12 0.07 0.01
Total PUFA 11.91 1.94 10.51 4.18 1.87 0.20 27.86 1.61 2.17 0.05
FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF MARINE MICROALGAE IN INDONESIA
WIDIANINGSIH ET AL. 81
and EPA (20:5n-3). In contrast, in this study, of nutrition such as nitrate, phosphate and
Nannochloropsis oculata had low EPA (0.19 silicate of the culture medium can increase
0.01 %). In this research, the culture medium of Acetil CoA carboxylase enzyme, which is a
N. oculata had a temperature range of 27-30C. precursor for making lipid in microalgae
The higher palmitic acid was probably due to the (Schenk et al., 2008).
high temperature in the culture medium. A
research gave evidence that increased In addition, the fatty acids prole of
temperature enhanced the percentage of microalgae was dominated by palmitic acids
palmitic acid, but the EPA decreased (Hu & Gao, C16 :0; stearic acids C18 :0; palmitolic acids
2006). Apart from high temperature in the media C16 :1; linoleic acids C18 :2 and linolenic acids
used for culture of Chlorella sp, nutrient C18 :3 (Table 2). This ts with research by
limitation is a precursor for Acetil-CoA Harrington (1986) that all plants oil used for
carboxylase enzyme to produce biosynthesis biodiesel production have to contain fatty acids
lipid (Schenk et al., 2008). C16 and C18.
Fatty acids prole of Nitzschia sp. and In this study, most of the microalgae
Chaetoceros calcitran were dominated by investigated have similar fatty acid prole, but
palmitic acid C16:0 and palmitolic (C16:1). the percentage content of fatty acid for each
Skeletonema costatum was dominated by microalgae is very different. This mainly
linolenic acid C18:3 (25.31 1.15%). In contrast depends on the strain used and culture
to the other microalgae belonging to class conditions (Volkman et al., 1989; Renaud et al.,
Bacillariophyceae, Skleletonema costatum had 2002; Tzovenis et al., 2003). All of the
high value of total PUFA (27.86%). This result is microalgae have the same fatty acid prole in
higher compared to those reported for diatom chain C16 and C18. Palmitat fatty acid (C16:0)
Nitzschia spp., Thalassiosira spp., Chaetoceros is a predominant fatty acid in most microalgae
spp. (Thompson et al., 1996; Brown et al., 1997; culture in this research. In conclusion, Spirulina
Pratoomyot et al., 2005). In this study, diatoms platensis, Porphyridium cruentum and
contained higher fatty acid than the others Tetraselmis sp. were identied as having high
species, because the structure of diatoms cells palmitat fatty acid content. Thus, these
accumulate lipids while environmental factors microalgae could be potential candidates for
can affect growth and fatty acid proles of diatom production of bio-diesel. On the other hand,
(Guiheneuf et al., 2008). Spirulina platensis, Tetraselmis sp., Nitzschia
sp., Thalassiosira sp., Isochrysis galbana and
The highest palmitic acid percentage was Skeletonema costatum have higher PUFA
found in Porphyridium cruentum (class content compared to other microalgae. It could
Rhodophyceae) which had a value of 67.99 be concluded that Isochrysis galbana and
1.00 %. The second highest was found in Skeletonema costatum are suitable as a quality
Spirulina platensis (66.05 2.36 %). In this live feed for aquaculture. These species of
research, all microalgae investigated were microalgae could serve as good nutritional
similar in fatty acids prole, but differed in sources of PUFA for aquaculture.
amount of fatty acids level. The high
percentage of fatty acids content of microalgae ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
is due to the harvest of microalgae at stationary
phase. Based on a study by Pratoomyot et al. The Directorate General of Higher Education,
(2005, the percentage of fatty acid content at the Ministry of National Education and Culture is
stationary phase was higher than at the gratefully acknowledged for funding nancial
exponential phase. Due to limited nutrition at support to carry out this research work under the
the stationary phase, cell division gradually contract number 237/SP2H/PP/DP2M/V/2009
decreased and the cells began to store products through the Competency Research Project.
(Hoek & Mann, 1995). Additionally, limitation
82 FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF MARINE MICROALGAE IN INDONESIA