Detection of Chemical Compounds of Two Green Algae Chlorococcum humicola and Chlorella vulgaris Using GC–MS

Hind Mahdi Salih Al-Saeedi; Ibrahim M. A.   Al-Salman

doi:10.30526/39.3.4335

Authors

Hind Mahdi Salih Al-Saeedi Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2465-3108
Ibrahim M. A. Al-Salman Department of Biology, College of Education Pure Sciences (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3116-4967

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30526/39.3.4335

Keywords:

Chlorococcum humicola, Chlorella vulgaris, Chemical composition, GC–MS analysis, Bioactive compounds, Green microalgae

Abstract

Microalgae have been identified as excellent sources of various bioactive compounds for applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and biofuels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of Chlorococcum humicola and Chlorella vulgaris using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to give us some useful insights regarding their chemical and metabolic potentials. Algal samples were collected from the sewage water pond of the Samarra Pharmaceutical Industries Company, located in Samarra, Iraq. The water in this pond represents treated industrial wastewater rich in organic and inorganic nutrients. The samples were collected from a single collection site within the treatment basin during the study period and transferred to the laboratory for further purification. The dried algal biomass was subjected to solvent extraction using analytical-grade ethanol. The extraction process was carried out to isolate bioactive compounds prior to GC–MS analysis. Then used the resulting chromatograms to calculate retention times, relative abundances, and the molecular structures of bioactive compounds. The chemical characterization of C. humicola identified Eugenol, Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, and Caryophyllene as the most prolific compounds. In C. vulgaris, the major components were Eucalyptol, Camphor, and Endo-Borneol, which exhibited superior aroma. Both species contained minor and other compounds of chemical interest, including sesquiterpenes, phenolics, and (methyl) fatty acid esters. The GC–MS chromatogram revealed several compounds, with Eugenol, Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, and Caryophyllene showing the highest relative abundance in C. humicola, while Eucalyptol and Camphor were dominant in C. vulgaris. The results suggest that both C. humicola and C. vulgaris possess diverse bioactive natural compounds that have different chemical compositions useful for value-added industrial, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical purposes

Author Biographies

Hind Mahdi Salih Al-Saeedi, Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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Ibrahim M. A. Al-Salman, Department of Biology, College of Education Pure Sciences (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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