COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FIVE MICROALGAE FOR BIODIESEL/BIOPRODUCTS APPLICATION
The use of microalgal biomass in the production of biodiesel and bioproducts is an area of research which has received attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to screen the biochemical composition of five different microalgae species: Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina platensis, Scenedesmus spp., Porphyridium cruentum and Phaedactylum tricornutum for biodiesel/bioproducts application. Chorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus showed the highest lipid content 12.58 and 12.13 %, respectively. Phaeodactylum tricornutum showed oil rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA), specially palmitic acid (C:16:0). Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and carbohydrate was observed at high content in Porphyridium cruentrum, that are also source of PUFA’s, mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Hight protein content was found in Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis.