A simple, reproducible and sensitive spectrophotometric method to estimate microalgal lipids

Quantification of total lipids is a necessity for any study of lipid production by microalgae, especially given the current interest in microalgal carbon capture and biofuels. In this study, we employed a simple yet sensitive method to indirectly measure the lipids in microalgae by measuring the fatty acids (FA) after saponification. The fatty acids were reacted with triethanolamine–copper salts (TEA–Cu) and the ternary TEA–Cu–FA complex was detected at 260 nm using a UV–visible spectrometer without any colour developer. The results showed that this method could be used to analyse low levels of lipids in the range of nano-moles from as little as 1 mL of microalgal culture. Furthermore, the structure of the TEA–Cu–FA complex and related reaction process are proposed to better understand this assay. There is no special instrument required and the method is very reproducible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of UV absorbance of copper salts with FA as a method to estimate lipids in algal cultures. It will pave the way for a more convenient assay of lipids in microalgae and can readily be expanded for estimating lipids in other biological systems.

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► FAs released from lipids form complex with Cu–TEA in chloroform.
► The FA–Cu–TEA complex gives strong absorbance at 260 nm.
► The absorbance is sensitive and independent of C-atom number in the FAs (10–18).
► Microalgal lipid extract and pure FA (such as C16) can both be used as standards.