The demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly food sources and food ingredients is increasing, and microalgae are promoted as a sustainable source of essential and bioactive lipids, with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FA), comparable to those of fish. However, most FA screening studies on algae are scattered or use different methodologies, preventing a true comparison of its content between microalgae. In this work, we used gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize the FA profile of seven different commercial microalgae with biotechnological applications (Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorococcum amblystomatis, Scenedesmus obliquus, Tetraselmis chui, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Spirulina sp., and Nannochloropsis oceanica). Screening for antioxidant activity was also performed to understand the relationship between FA profile and bioactivity. Microalgae exhibited specific FA profiles with a different composition, namely in the ω-3 FA profile, but with species of the same phylum showing similar tendencies. The different lipid extracts showed similar antioxidant activities, but with a low activity of the extracts of Nannochloropsis oceanica. Overall, this study provides a direct comparison of FA profiles between microalgae species, supporting the role of these species as alternative, sustainable, and healthy sources of essential lipids.

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Marine ecosystems comprise a high diversity of life forms, such as algae, invertebrates, and vertebrates. These organisms have adapted their physiology according to the conditions of the environments in which...

There is a growing trend to explore microalgae as an alternative resource for the food, feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and fuel industry. Moreover, the polar lipidome of microalgae is interesting because of the reports of bioactive polar lipids which could foster new applications for microalgae. In this work, we identified for the first time the Chlorococcum amblystomatis lipidome using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization- tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC–HR–ESI–MS/MS). The Chlorococcum amblystomatis strain had a lipid content of 20.77% and the fatty acid profile, determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, has shown that this microalga contains high amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The lipidome identified included 245 molecular ions and 350 lipid species comprising 15 different classes of glycolipids (6), phospholipids (7) and betaine lipids (2). Of these, 157 lipid species and the main lipid species of each class were esterified with omega-3 PUFAs. The lipid extract has shown antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory potential. Lipid extracts also had low values of atherogenic (0.54) and thrombogenic index (0.27). In conclusion, the lipid extracts of Chlorococcum amblystomatis have been found to be a source of lipids rich in omega-3 PUFAs for of great value for the food, feed, cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

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With the increasing prevalence of obesity in women of reproductive age, there is an urgent need to understand the metabolic impact on the fetus. Sex-related susceptibility to liver diseases has been demonstrated but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report that maternal obesity impacts lipid metabolism differently in female and male offspring. Males, but not females, gained more weight and had impaired insulin sensitivity when born from obese mothers compared to control. Although lipid mass was similar in the livers of female and male offspring, sex-specific modifications in the composition of fatty acids, triglycerides and phospholipids was observed. These overall changes could be linked to sex-specific regulation of genes controlling metabolic pathways. Our findings revised the current assumption that sex-dependent susceptibility to metabolic disorders is caused by sex-specific postnatal regulation and instead we provide molecular evidence supporting in utero metabolic adaptations in the offspring of obese mothers.

Nannochloropsis oceanica can accumulate lipids and is a good source of polar lipids, which are emerging as new value-added compounds with high commercial value for the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Some applications may limit the extraction solvents, such as food applications that require safe food-grade solvents, such as ethanol. However, the effect of using ethanol as an extraction solvent on the quality of the extracted polar lipidome, compared to other more traditional methods, is not yet well established. In this study, the polar lipid profile of N. oceanica extracts was obtained using different solvents, including chloroform/methanol (CM), dichloromethane/methanol (DM), dichloromethane/ethanol (DE), and ethanol (E), and evaluated by modern lipidomic methods using LC-MS/MS. Ultrasonic bath (E + USB)- and ultrasonic probe (E + USP)-assisted methodologies were implemented to increase the lipid extraction yields using ethanol. The polar lipid signature and antioxidant activity of DM, E + USB, and E + USP resemble conventional CM, demonstrating a similar extraction efficiency, while the DE and ethanol extracts were significantly different. Our results showed the impact of different extraction solvents in the polar lipid composition of the final extracts and demonstrated the feasibility of E + USB and E + USP as safe and food-grade sources of polar lipids, with the potential for high-added-value biotechnological applications.