Tracing the Impact of Domestic Storage Conditions on Antioxidant Activity and Lipid Profiles in the Edible Microalgae <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> and <i>Tetraselmis chui</i>
Diana Lopes,
Felisa Rey,
Alexandrina Gomes,
Luís Duarte,
João Pereira,
Marisa Pinho,
Tânia Melo,
Rosário Domingues
Affiliations
Diana Lopes
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Felisa Rey
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Alexandrina Gomes
Mass Spectrometry Centre & Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (LAQV-REQUIMTE), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Luís Duarte
Mass Spectrometry Centre & Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (LAQV-REQUIMTE), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
João Pereira
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Marisa Pinho
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Tânia Melo
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Rosário Domingues
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Chemistry, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Tetraselmis chui are valued for their nutrient-rich content, including lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). However, little is known about how storage and processing affect their lipid quality. This study aimed to assess the impact of domestic storage and cooking practices in dried biomass of C. vulgaris and T. chui. Four conditions were tested: control (newly opened package), light (storage at room temperature and daily light regimen for three weeks), frozen (storage in the freezer at −20 °C for three weeks), and heated (three cycles of 90 min at 100 °C). Lipid extracts were analyzed by GC-MS and LC-MS, and antioxidant activity through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Tested storage conditions promoted a decrease in fatty acid content and in diacyl/lyso lipid species ratios of phospholipid (PC/LPC, PE/LPE) and betaine lipids (DGTS/MGTS). Lipid extracts from light treatment showed the lowest antioxidant activity in C. vulgaris (ABTS, IC40: 104.9; DPPH, IC20: 187.9 ± 15.0), while heat affected the antioxidant activity of T. chui (ABTS, IC40: 88.5 ± 2.8; DPPH, IC20 209.4 ± 10.9). These findings underscore the impact of managing storage and processing conditions to optimize the nutritional and functional benefits of C. vulgaris and T. chui in food and feed applications.
