Comprehensive GCMS and LC-MS/MS Metabolite Profiling of Chlorella vulgaris

Abstract

The commercial cultivation of microalgae began in the 1960s and Chlorella was one of the first target organisms. The species has long been considered a potential source of renewable energy, an alternative for phytoremediation, and more recently, as a growth and immune stimulant. However, Chlorella vulgaris, which is one of the most studied microalga, has never been comprehensively profiled chemically. In the present study, comprehensive profiling of the Chlorella vulgaris metabolome grown under normal culture conditions was carried out, employing tandem LC-MS/MS to profile the ethanolic extract and GC-MS for fatty acid analysis. The fatty acid profile of C. vulgaris was shown to be rich in omega-6, -7, -9, and -13 fatty acids, with omega-6 being the highest, representing more than sixty percent (>60%) of the total fatty acids. This is a clear indication that this species of Chlorella could serve as a good source of nutrition when incorporated in diets. The profile also showed that the main fatty acid composition was that of C16-C18 (>92%), suggesting that it might be a potential candidate for biodiesel production. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed carotenoid constituents comprising violaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein, β-carotene, vulgaxanthin I, astaxanthin, and antheraxanthin, along with other pigments such as the chlorophylls. In addition to these, amino acids, vitamins, and simple sugars were also profiled, and through mass spectrometry-based molecular networking, 48 phospholipids were putatively identified.

Complementary Analytical Platforms of NMR Spectroscopy and LCMS Analysis in the Metabolite Profiling of Isochrysis galbana

“…This approach offers new ways of exploring the metabolome of biological samples by providing essential analog knowledge among the metabolites identified. Numerous MN applications in microalgae chemistry have been documented in recent years [ 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”

Profiling and quantitative analysis of underivatized fatty acids in Chlorella vulgaris microalgae by liquid chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry

“…The qualitative identification highlights that C. vulgaris species could serve both as a good nutrition source when incorporated into diets, and a potential candidate for biodiesel production, since the amount and ratio of saturated and unsaturated FAs is fundamental to whether microalgae can be used as a biofuel feedstock. Our data are entirely according to the literature [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Furthermore, the qualitative identification confirmed that the use of sulfuric acid was not only adequate for the break of the cell walls but also it was helpful for the complete hydrolysis of all lipids present in the microalgae.…”

Combination of Molecular Networking and LC-MS/MS Profiling in Investigating the Interrelationships between the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Curculigo latifolia

“…The MS data were firstly converted into the mzXML format using the MSConvert software. The generated spectral information was then uploaded to MZmine-2.5.3-Windows to generate the MS/MS data [ 57 , 58 ].…”