Browsing by Author "Aalto, Sanni"

Microalgae are promising raw materials for food- and biotechnology because they contain a lot of proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, pigments, vitamins and minerals. There are few studies on vitamin B in microalgae and some of them are based on partly inaccurate methods. Microalgae in general, analytical methods regarding their analysis and how they use vitamins were discussed in the literature part of this thesis. The structures, chemical properties and occurrence in foods as well as commonly used analytical methods of the vitamins in question were presented. The aim of the experimental part of this thesis was to analyse commercially marketed microalgae supplements (Chlorella sp. and Arthrospira sp. (spirulina)) and laboratory-grown microalga (Euglena gracilis) as potential sources of folate, niacin, vitamin B2 and B12. Contents of vitamin B12, B2 and niacin were analysed using UHPLC method separately validated for each vitamin. The total folate content was analysed microbiologically and folate vitamers by using UHPLC. The vitamin B12 was analysed microbiologically and the active forms of vitamin B12 were confirmed using LC-MS. Acid hydrolysis was used in analysing niacin content. The total folate content in chlorella supplements was of the same order when analysed microbiologically or with UHPLC. Instead, in spirulina supplements the microbiologically analysed total folate content was higher than the total folate content based on the sum of folate vitamers analysed with UHPLC. At most, the total folate content of E. gracilis -sample was 3-fold higher than in commercial microalgae supplements. Especially in spirulina supplements, the vitamin B12 contents were clearly higher when analysed microbiologically than they were when analysed with UHPLC. The difference was most likely due to pseudocobalamin that resembled vitamin B12. On average E. gracilis -samples had higher vitamin B2 content than the commercial supplements. E. gracilis -samples and chlorella supplements contained more niacin than spirulina supplements. According to this thesis, commercially marketed microalgae supplements contained different amounts of vitamin B. Chlorella sp. was proved to be a great source of folate, vitamin B12 and niacin and moderate source of B2. The majority of vitamin B12 in Arthrospira sp. (spirulina) was pseudocobalamin. Despite that, spirulina supplements proved to be a moderate source of vitamin B12. On average, E. gracilis had the highest vitamin B content and it would potentially be an excellent source of vitamin B – if it was accepted for food use.