Manipulation of Chlorella vulgaris polyunsaturated ω-3 fatty acid profile by supplementation with vegetable amino acids and fatty acids

The present research aims to investigate the fatty acid profile of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris supplemented with bioactive oils and amino acids from Oliveria decumbens, Thymus kotschyanus, Trachyspermum ammi, and Zataria multiflora. C. vulgaris was cultured during 4 days in presence of the plant oil (5 mL/1000 mL) and amino acid (5 g/1000 mL) extracts at the end of the logarithmic phase. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) revealed that major fatty acids of C. vulgaris were palmitic (29.33%), oleic (15.76%), linoleic (10.02%), alpha-linolenic (8.69%), gamma-linolenic (4.11%), palmitoleic (3.43%), and lauric (2.48%) acids, as well as 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (2.26%). The used vegetable oil mainly composed of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and significantly induced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic, alpha-linolenic, gamma-linolenic, and oleic acids, as well as EPA in C. vulgaris. Furthermore, the analyzed vegetable amino acids significantly induced omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs, such as linoleic, alpha-linolenic, gamma-linolenic, and oleic acids, as well as EPA in C. vulgaris, but with a differential manner relative to fatty acids.