Biochemical composition and fatty acid profile of the green alga Ulva reticulata

Abstract

The total lipid, protein, carbohydrate, water and fatty acid contents of seaweed U. reticulata belonging to the class of Chlorophyceae that had been collected from Vellar estuary, southeast coast of India. Water contents of the U. reticulata was found as 75.33%. Carbohydrate, protein and lipid contents have been estimated as 50.248, 8.484, 19.98 and 1.7% of the dry sample correspondingly. The analysis of fatty acids by gas chromatography revealed the presence of myristic acid, palmitic acid, heptadecenoic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid. Among the fatty acids, palmitic acid was predominant in all the fatty acids studied. © 2010 Academic Journals Inc.