COMPARATIVE FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF 5 SPECIES OF DICTYOTA (PHAEOPHYTA)

The fatty acid analyses of Dictyota dichotoma (Huds.) Lamour., D. dumosa Borg., D. hauckiana Nizam., D. indica Sond. ex Kutz. and D. maxima Zanard., found in Karachi coastal waters are reported. Ten saturated and four unsaturated fatty acids were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, of which only palmitic acid occurs in all of them, while pentadecylic, margaric, arachidic and oleic acids were found in four species, and others are of more selective distribution. Dictyota indica differs slightly in its fatty acid composition from other species, containing eicosatrienoic acid.