Fatty Acid Profile of Spirulina platensis Used as a Food Supplement

The commercially produced multicellular microalgae, Spirulina platensis, is widely consumed by humans in the Aegean area of Turkey as a food addi- tive or a whole food. The fatty acid profiles of six commercial tablets pro- duced from S. platensis in Turkey and one from China were determined. The samples contained 33.68-66.75% saturated fatty acids (SFA) and 28.20-47.78% polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 and n-6 PUFA). Spirulina platensis is a rich source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which accounted for 4.07-22.51% of the fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were found in only two samples where they accounted for 1.79 and 7.70%, and 2.28 and 2.88%, respectively. There was a significant (p