Bioprospecting for lipophilic-like components of five Phaeophyta macroalgae from the Portuguese coast

Lipophilic compounds present in dichloromethane extracts of five brown macroalgae from the Portuguese coast were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Their dicarboxylic acids, long-chain aliphatic alcohols, and monoglyceride profile are reported for the first time. Additionally, other new compounds were also first reported: 24-methylene-cholesterol in Himanthalia elongata , Laminaria ochroleuca , and Undaria pinnatifida ; desmosterol and brassicasterol in H. elongata , L. ochroleuca , Sargassum muticum , and U. pinnatifida ; fucosterol and campesterol in S. muticum ; and cholest-5-en-3-ol-(3β)-3-phenyl-2-propenoate in Cystoseira tamariscifolia . Brown macroalgae dichloromethane extracts are mainly composed of fatty acids (463.4–3089.0 mg kg −1 of dry material) and sterols (75.5–442.7 mg kg −1 of dry material). High amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids were found, with the ω-6/ω-3 ratios of all species lower than 3. Cystoseira tamariscifolia , H. elongata , and S. muticum showed to be also promising sources of fucosterol. These results seem to uphold the incorporation of these macroalgae in a more balanced diet, as well as their use in the nutraceutical industry, as long as they are coupled with sustainable management of these natural resources.