Unsaponifiable matter of green and blue‐green algal lipids as a factor of biochemical differentiation of their biomasses: II. Terpenic alcohol and sterol fractions

Abstract

Abstract The composition of the terpenic alcohol and sterol fractions of the unsaponifiables of ten algal species, five Myxophyceae and five Chlorophyceae , is discussed. The major component of the terpenic fraction is phytol, a diterpenic alcohol. Minor amounts of straight chain and triterpenic alcohols are also present. Practically all the species examined contain ten components in the sterol fraction: cholesterol, brassicasterol, Δ 5 ‐ergostenol, poriferasterol, Δ 7 ‐ergostenol, clionasterol, chondrillasterol, Δ 5 ‐avenasterol, Δ 7 ‐chondrillastenol, and an unidentified component. Identification of the sterols was made by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry, and a 24 S configuration was assumed. The prokaryotic blue‐green algae are characterized by a higher content in cholesterol (3.5–14%) than the eucaryotic green algae (0–2.5). Also, brassicasterol, poriferasterol, clionasterol, and Δ 5 ‐avenasterol are more abundant in blue‐green algae. Δ 7 ‐Ergostenol, chondrillasterol, and Δ 7 ‐chondrillastenol predominate, on the contrary, in green algae.