FATTY-ACIDS FROM 11 MARINE MACROALGAE OF THE FRENCH BRITTANY COAST

Four species of red marine algae (Rhodophyceae), five species of brown marine algae (Pheophyceae) and two species of green marine algae (Chl orophyceae) were examined for the fatty acid composition of the three lipid groups separated by silica gel column chromatography (neutral li pids, glycolipids, phospholipids). The four red algae had high content s of 16:0 and C20-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 20:5n-3 ranging from 18 to 49% of the total fatty acid content and 20:4n-6 from 1.4 to 22.5%, these fatty acids were evenly distributed in all lipid groups. The five brown algae had high contents of 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6 and 18:3n- 3 but low content of 20:5n-3. No precise trend was detected for the di stribution of these fatty acids in the three lipid groups. The two gre en algae had high contents of 16:0, 18:1n-7 and 18:3n-3 and a very low content of PUFA. They contained also large amounts of 16:4n-3 togethe r with 16:2n-6 and 16:3n-3. While 16:2n-6 was mainly found in phosphol ipids, 16:4n-3 was mainly distributed in neutral lipids and glycolipid s. Porphyra umbilicalis represents the richest source of 20:5n-3 while Undaria pinnatifida can be selected when a balanced mixture of (n-6) and (n-3) PUFA is required.