Component Fatty Acids of Acetone-Soluble Lipids of 17 Species of Marine Benthic Algae

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the lipid components of marine benthic algae: i.e., one species of green, nine of brown and seven of red algae.For comparative purposes, more highly evolved plants, i.e. one fresh water stonewort and two phanerogams, one marine and one terrestrial type, were also analyzed.The component fatty acids in the acetone-soluble fractions were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography.The brown and red algae both contained high proportions of 20:4 and 20:5 fatty acids while both green and brown algae were distinguished by high contents of 18:3 and 18:4 acids.A high proportion of the component fatty acids in green algae consisted of C18and C16-acids, in brown algae of C18-and C20-acids and in red algae of C16-and C20-acids.While there were significant differences among the component fatty acid patterns of the acetone-soluble lipids of green, brown and red algae, the green algae pattern particularly showed a close resemblance to the stonewort and phanerogam patterns.