Fatty acid composition of sargassum denticulatua1and s. Latifouum as influenced by the time of collection and the plant organ

Abstract

Fatty acid profile of two species of Sargassum namely, 5. denticulatium (Forsk). Borgesen and S. latifolium (Turn) Ag., from the Red Sea coast of Egypt was studied. Fatty acid data indicate that there is a strong seasonal variations in distribution patterns and in the relative percentages of fatty acid components. Our analyses show that the fatty acid composition of both species was also affected by the plant organ. In most cases, however, these variations in fatty acid composition were species-specific. The characteristic feature of both species was their high content of 16:0 and 13:0. The local Sargassum species were unusual in containing 17:0 with estimable amounts. Lipids extracted from these species were found to have considerably higher levels of saturated fatty acids indicating that these species are potentially a better source of these acids.