Wekesa N. Justus1 & Lilechi D. Baraza2*
1Faculty of Science, Kibabii University College, P.O Box 1699-50200, Bungoma, Kenya.
2Faculty of Science, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega, Kenya.
* Corresponding author email: bdanstone@yahoo.com
Abstract
The soxhlet hexane extracts of cultivated Spirulina platensis were analysed by Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). On comparison between fresh and dried S. platensis samples, we found that the high number of metabolites were recorded in the fresh extract. Studies on the fresh and dry extracts resulted in the identification of thirty eight major compounds from fresh sample and twenty five compounds from dried sample. The metabolites were classified as fatty acids and their esters, alcohols, benzene derivatives, alkanes, alkanoic acids, esters, sterol phytol, and vitamin E. The major volatile organic compounds for fresh S. platensis extract were p-Xylene (24.584%), heptadecane (18.362%) and phenylethylalcohol (12.035%), while the major volatile organic compounds for dried S. platensis extract were Z-11-Hexadecenoic acid, (16.991%), Methyllinoleate (12.243%) and Ethylhexadecanoate (8.1363%). We also identified the presence of one sterol phytol in fresh extract that has earlier been documented. Our study is therefore the first report on the chemical composition of the non-polar extracts of edible Spirulina platensis grown in Kakamega, Western part of Kenya.
Keywords:
Spirulina platensis, Chemical profile, volatiles, GC-MS analysis.
