Determination of Fatty Acids Profile and Physicochemical Study of Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca) Oil from Bushehr City Coasts

Abstract

Background: Sea lettuce is a kind green alga with scientific name "Ulva lactuca", has many uses in many countries. With Notice to the presence of this alga in the coasts of Bushehr and its ease of propagation and cultivation, we can take advantage of beneficial interest. The objectives of this current study was to determine the amount of total fat, survey the quality and quantity of some physicochemical parameters and the profile of fatty acids in its oil. Materials and Methods: After samples collecting of sea lettuce (Sea lettuce) from Bushehr coasts, sample preparation and extraction of fat, quantity of some physicochemical parameters according to AOAC method; and fatty acid profile were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Results: The acidity index in extracted oil in Shoraye-shahr, Bandargah and Naftkesh regions were, 0.73, 0.73 and 0.72 respectively, and the peroxide value was 0.75, 0.74 and 0.75 respectively. The refractive index and average oil contents for all areas were reported 3 % and 1412, respectively. In the three mentioned regions, sixteen fatty acids including (C6), (C10), (C12), (C13), (C14), (C15), (C16), (C17), (C18), (C19), (C20), (C21), (C18: 1), (C18: 2), (C18: 3) were identified with different amounts. Palmitic acid had the highest levels in all three regions. Conclusion: Sea lettuce contains different fatty acids that each of them has different applications in food industry, medicine and cosmetics. The favorable amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the sea lettuce oil increase their nutritional importance. Caltivating of this beneficial alga is suggested due to the appropriate geographic climate of Bushehr.

Keywords

• Sea lettuce
• Fatty acids
• Gas chromatography
• Omega 3
• Omega 6