Mapping the Polar Lipidome of Macroalgae using LC‐MS‐Based Approaches for Add‐Value Applications

Abstract

Marine macroalgae are emerging as sustainable and healthy food, and a source of lipids with nutritional and bioactive properties. Nonetheless, the lipidome of macroalgae is little explored compared to other photosynthetic organisms. Most of the literature is devoted to the analysis of fatty acid (FA) from macroalgae, because of they are a source of long-chain omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated FA, which can be used as an alternative to fish oil. However, FA occurs mostly esterified in other lipids, such as polar lipids, that still overlooked. The data published on the study of polar lipids (phospholipids, glycolipids, betaine lipids) pinpoint their remarkable characteristics and bioactive properties which mainly remain unexplored. The lipidome of macroalgae seems to be species-specific, while some lipid classes appear to be characteristic of phyla. Lipidome plasticity of macroalgae is verified to change under abiotic and biotic factors which may modulate the functionality and add-value of the biomass. This biochemical plasticity represents an advantage to obtain ingredients for target applications and niche of markets. This review provides an overview on macroalgae lipidome characterization, addressing analysis workflow based on liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and discussing the bioactive properties and biotechnological applications of macroalga lipids. Practical Applications: The current state of the art on marine macroalgae lipidomics is reviewed, including the lipid characterization using modern liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the distribution of polar lipids by macroalgae species and phylum, their bioactive properties, and potential biotechnological applications. In a time of increasing awareness of sustainably produced marine resources, the lipids from macroalgae are still underexplored. This review provides information for smart valorization of macroalgae as source of add-value lipids contributing to the development of blue bioeconomy.

Revealing the polar lipidome, pigment profiles, and antioxidant activity of the giant unicellular green alga, Acetabularia acetabulum

“…Glycolipids, betaine lipids, and phospholipids are the major membrane lipids in algae (Li‐Beisson et al, 2019; Lopes et al, 2023) and are distributed in organelles according to their functional and structural roles. The main polar lipid category in Acetabularia acetabulum lipid extracts was glycolipids, which are specific lipids of chloroplasts.…”

“…These sea vegetables are considered sustainable sources of omega‐3 fatty acids, which can present an alternative to fish and fish oils. Polyunsaturated fatty acid can be found mainly in the structure of polar lipids, such as glycolipids, predominant in plastidial and thylakoid membranes, phospholipids, and betaine lipids, which are mainly found in extraplastidial membranes (Li‐Beisson et al, 2019; Lopes et al, 2023). The recent findings that attribute bioactive properties and health benefits to polar lipids from algae have fostered the study of macroalgae lipidomes, although only a limited number of species have been studied so far.…”

“…Lipidomics is an emerging tool that allows a comprehensive study of lipids in biological samples. This approach involves the identification and quantification of the lipid molecular species present in the lipidome of the studied organisms, their metabolic pathways, and their biological functions (Lopes et al, 2023; Maciel et al, 2016; Rey et al, 2022). The interest in macroalgae as a source of health nutrients, namely lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), is increasing.…”