Analysis of Dimethylsulfide and Dimethylsulfoniopropionate in Marine Microalgae Culture

In this study, a sensitive analytical method was established for the determination of free dimethylsulfide (DMS), dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd) and particulate DMSP (DMSPp), in marine microalgal culture with solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The linearity was in the range of 0.01–10.0 μg l−1, the detection limit was 10.6 pg, the average recovery rate was 93.1% ± 1.3%, and the RSDs were lower than 5%. The DMS contents in the microalgal culture were determined separately for the upper phase with addition of NaCl, and the lower phase with addition of NaOH for 12 h, after centrifugation. The contents of DMS and DMSP in the microalgal culture were calculated from the difference value of DMS. The data of four microalgal species confirmed the results as previously reported in a literature. The microalgae belonged to Pyrrophyta and Prymnesiophyceae were the major DMS (P) producers, and the content of DMSPp in Pleurochrysis carterae was (13.8 ± 0.9) pg per cell.