Characteristics of fatty acids from the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty (Rhodophyta, Solieriaceae)

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a red alga belonging to family Solieriaceae, and one of the most important carrageenan sources for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The fatty acid compounds of the Solieriaceae families provide interesting information on the presence of unusual fatty acids. A study was conducted to elucidate the characteristics of the fatty acid composition of red algae K. alvarezii using gas chromatography-mass spec-trometry (GC-MS). K. alvarezii contained significant amounts of cyclic and monoenoic fatty acids, such as 11-cyclopentylundecanoic acid (12.9 % of total fatty acids), 13-cyclopentyltridecanoic acid (5.1 %), 11-hexadece-noic acid (18.9 %), and 13-octadecenoic acid (1.5 %). The red algae also contained in relatively high amounts of polyenoic fatty acids, arachidonic (6.58 %) and eicosapentaenoic acids (4.76 %). The two cyclic and mono-enoic fatty acids, which are high contents in K. alvarezii appear to be typical fatty acids in the Solieriaceae families, which can be the chemical characteristic potential of the Solieriaceae.

Automated summary

Kappaphycus alvarezii, a red alga from the Solieriaceae family, is an important source of carrageenan for various industries. A study was conducted to analyze the fatty acid composition of K. alvarezii using GC-MS. The results revealed a significant presence of cyclic and monoenoic fatty acids, as well as relatively high amounts of polyenoic fatty acids.