title: Fatty acid methyl ester profiles and nutritive values of 20 marine microalgae in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To screen the fatty acid (FA) composition of 20 marine microalgae species, including seven Diophyceae, six Bacillariophyceae, four Chlorophyceae, two Haptophyceae and one Raphidophyceae species.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microalgal cells cultured at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology were harvested during the late exponential growth phase and the FA composition analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FA composition of microalgae was species-specific. For example, seven different species of Dinophyceae were composed primarily of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3, while C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 were abundant FAs in six species of Bacillariophyceae. In addition, four Chlorophyceae, two Haptophyceae and one Raphidophyceae species all contained a high degree of C16:1n-7 [(9.28-34.91)% and (34.48-35.04)%], C14:0 [(13.34-25.96)%] and [(26.69-28.24)%], and C16:0 [(5.89-29.15)%] and [(5.70-16.81)%]. Several factors contribute to the nutritional value of microalgae, including the polyunsaturated FA content and n-3 to n-6 FA ratio, which could be used to assess the nutritional quality of microalgae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first comprehensive assessment of the FA composition and nutritional value of microalgae species in South Korea, and identifies the potential utility of FAs as species-specific biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: South Sea Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 656-830, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Suk
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Kyeongbuk Institute for Marine Bio-Industry, Wooljin, 767-813, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: So Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: South Sea Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 656-830, Korea.
authors.forename: Jinik
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: South Sea Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 656-830, Korea.
authors.forename: Mirye
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: South Sea Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 656-830, Korea. Electronic address: tklee@kiost.ac.
authors.forename: Taek-Kyun
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eui-Joon
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kil
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sukchan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: DHA; EPA; Microalgae; Nutritive values; PUFA