38 THE ROLE OF ALGAE AND PLANKTON IN MEDICINE 



TABLE V.— Analysis of the Lipids of Chlorella 



Analysis Chlorella lot no. 



12 3 4 



1. Total lipid {% of Chlorella) 23-37 33.17 62.96 75.51 



Composition of total lipid 



2. Fatty acids {% of lipid) 28.0 49.5 83-0 86.8 



3. Unsaponifiable fraction {% of lipid) 12.0 7.7 3\3 3-3 



4. Water-soluble, after saponification (% of 



lipid) 60.0 42.8 13.7 9-9 



5. Calculated fat (% of Chlorella) 6.85 17.2 54.7 68.6 



Analysis of total fatty acids 



6. Palmitic acid, Cl6 (%) 16.6 10.9 7.9 11.4 



7. Stearic acid, C18 (%) 0.4 4.1 3-9 3.5 



8. C16 unsaturated acids (%) 29-1 18.3 27.2 18.0 



9. C18 unsaturated acids (%) 53.9 66.7 60.9 67.1 



10. Total fatty acids (%) 100.0 100.0 99-9 100.0 



11. Equivalent weight 269.5 273.6 272.7 274.1 



12. Iodine number 163.1 143.8 143.6 125.3 



Degree of unsaturation 



13. Cl6 plus C18 unsaturated acids -4.4H -3-6H -3-7H -3.2H 



14. Cl6 unsaturated acids -4.1H -4.4H 



15. C18 unsaturated acids — 4.5H -3.4H 



they are intended purely as a source of vitamin concentrates. In the latter 

 case, synthetic methods are more economical. 



Microscopic algae are the ultimate basic source of vitamins in fish, and 

 the finding of large quantities of Vitamin A in fish livers was indeed the 

 stimulus for much of the study of algal vitamins. 225 Several decades ago, 

 it was shown that NHzschia closterium and other phytoplankton were good 

 sources of Vitamin A and its carotene precursors. 226 In the early 1930's, 

 Jorgensen in Scandinavia considered using algal carotene to feed cows and 

 to fortify margarine. 41 Later, in Venezuela, he used dried plankton from 

 Lake Maracaibo as a source of carotene and related unidentified substances 

 as a highly efficacious food supplement in the therapy of lepers. 



Vitamin B 1 is generally necessary for algal growth, and it has been 

 demonstrated in most species in which it has been sought. 40 Especially 

 large amounts are found in Chlorella. Young cultures with actively- 

 dividing cells contain more thiamin than do the older fat-storing ones. 

 Thus, von Witsch obtained yields of 1.8 to 18.0 gamma per gram of dried 

 substance from cultures of varying ages. 



While Chlorella and related algae contain dehydrogenase for direct 



