Selection of an esterification catalyst for assay of total fatty acid content in cyanobacteria and algae using gas chromatography

Vida Vičkačkaitė; Audronė Lingytė; Jūratė Kasperovičienė; Birutė Bugelytė; Judita Koreivienė; Ksenija Savadova

doi:10.6001/chemija.2016.27.4.3

Vida Vičkačkaitė
Audronė Lingytė
Jūratė Kasperovičienė
Birutė Bugelytė
Judita Koreivienė
Ksenija Savadova

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6001/chemija.2016.27.4.3

Keywords: cyanobacteria, algae, fatty acids, direct transesterification

Abstract

Hydrochloric acid, acetyl chloride and boron trifluoride have been tested as the acid catalysts for direct esterification/transesterification and consequent gas chromatographic determination of the total fatty acid content in cyanobacteria and algae. Acetyl chloride resulted to be the most efficient and was applied for the analysis of freshwater cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Planktothrix agardhii and green algae Monoraphidium griffithii, Scenedesmus acutus. All tested species contained significant quantities of palmitic acid and α-linolenic acid. The oleic acid and linoleic acid occurred in the highest amounts in green algae M. griffithii and S. acutus.