Fatty acids as biomarkers of microalgae

► Lipid-fatty acid profiling of 12 microalgal strains belonging to 2 distinct phyla were done. ► Palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1n9c) are the most abundant fatty acids. ► Cyanophyceae members are found to have higher unsaturation index. ► Chemotaxonomic relationship of fatty acid variables have been done by using PCA and AHC. ► Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae members are clustered with distinct taxonomic orders.