The Fatty Acids of Chlorella

It has been found that the chemical composition of Chlorella pyrenoidosa varies over a wide range, depending on the environmental conditions selected for its growth. A description of the influence of different environmental factors on the composition of Chlorella has been given, and a method of calculating the approximate cell composition in terms of carbohydrate, protein, and lipide from the elementary analysis was developed (1). The most strikmg variation occurred in the calculated lipide content of the cells, which ranged from 5 to 85 per cent of the dry weight. Little, if any, information is available on the composition of the fats of algae. The purpose of the work to be described here was to determine by analysis the lipide content of Chlorella grown under various conditions, to determine the composition of the lipide fraction, and, more particularly, to examine the fatty acids of Chlorella.