TITLE:
Seasonal Composition of Lipids, Fatty Acids Pigments in the Brown Alga Sargassum pallidum: The Potential for Health
AUTHORS:
Natalia Gerasimenko, Stepan Logvinov
KEYWORDS:
Alga, Lipids, Fatty Acids, Pigments, Nutritional Quality Index
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.6 No.4,
October
18,
2016
ABSTRACT: The
present study describes the content of total lipids (TL), the main components
of polar and neutral lipids (NL) and photosynthetic pigments (PSP) in edible
seaweed Sargassum pallidum (Ochrophyta) from the Sea of Japan, Russia, in different months of the year,
taking into account life cycle. Special attention was paid to the fatty acids
(FAs) of total lipids as well as the accumulation of important polyunsaturated
fatty acids (PUFAs) in glyceroglycolipids (GL) and reserve lipids in the
seasonal cycles of growth. The content of TL strongly varied in the course of a
year. The major lipid components were GL (20.3% - 36.4%)
and NL (19.8% - 30.6%), while
phospholipids (PL) were present in negligible amounts (3.2% - 6.9%). Significant seasonal variations were observed
in content all classes of lipids. The PUFAs prevailed in total lipids and the
content of n-6 PUFAs was higher than n-3 PUFAs on all stages of life with the exception
of vegetation period. Monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG) and
digalactosyldiacylglecerols (DGDG) were rich in PUFAs and n-3 PUFAs were
dominated among them independently of stages of growth. Saturated fatty acids
(SFA) were dominated in sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG). Triacylglycerols
(TAG) and diacylglycerols (DAG) contained many PUFAs, especially n-6 PUFAs.
Significant concentration 20:3 n-6 was
in the triacylglycerols. The concentration of chlorophylls and carotenoids was
increased with the growth and maturation of S.
pallidum and reached maximum in period of highest day length and water
temperature. The content of pigments decreased with the onset of short days and
decreasing water temperatures. Nutritional value and benefit for health of
human this alga were evaluated. The n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratio, nutritional quality
index (atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, and ratio between
hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids) were low, suggesting
a high nutritional value of S. pallidum throughout the year.