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Extraction of Algal Lipids and Their Analysis by HPLC and Mass Spectrometry

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

Algae are a promising source of biofuel but claims about their lipid content can be ambiguous because extraction methods vary and lipid quantitation often does not distinguish between particular lipid classes. Here we compared methods for the extraction of algal lipids and showed that 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE) provides superior lipid recovery (>150–200 %) compared to other common extraction solvents such as chloroform:methanol or hexane. Extractions of wet and dry algal biomass showed that 2-EE was more effective at extracting lipids from wet rather than dried algal pellets. To analyze lipid content we used normal-phase HPLC with parallel quantitation by an evaporative light scattering detector and a mass spectrometer. Analysis of crude lipid extracts showed that all major lipid classes could be identified and quantified and revealed a surprisingly large amount of saturated hydrocarbons (HC). This HC fraction was isolated from extracts of bioreactor-grown algae and further analyzed by HPLC/MS, NMR, and GC/MS. The results showed that the sample consisted of a mixture of saturated, straight- and branched-chain HC of different chain lengths. These algal HC could represent an alternative biofuel to triacylglycerols (TAG) that could feed directly into the current petroleum infrastructure.

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Abbreviations

APCI:

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

BC:

β-Carotene

CE:

Cholesteryl ester

CHL:

Chlorophylls & chlorophyll catabolites

DAG:

Diacylglycerol

DGDG:

Digalactosyldiacylglycerol

DMF:

Dimethylformamide

ELSD:

Evaporative light scattering detector

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester

FFA:

Free fatty acid

GL:

Glycolipid

HC:

Hydrocarbon

MAG:

Monoacylglycerol

PE:

Phosphatidylethanolamine

PC:

Phosphatidylcholine

PHY:

Phytol

PL:

Phospholipid

TAG:

Triacylglycerol

2-EE:

2-Ethoxyethanol

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by OpenAlgae.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Jessica Jones

  2. Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Schonna Manning, Morela Montoya & Martin Poenie

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Karin Keller

Authors
  1. Jessica Jones
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  2. Schonna Manning
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  3. Morela Montoya
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  4. Karin Keller
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  5. Martin Poenie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Poenie.

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Jones, J., Manning, S., Montoya, M. et al. Extraction of Algal Lipids and Their Analysis by HPLC and Mass Spectrometry. J Am Oil Chem Soc 89, 1371–1381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-012-2044-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-012-2044-8

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