Separation and identification of hydrocarbons and other volatile compounds from cultured blue-green alga Nostoc sp by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using serially coupled capillary columns with consecutive nonpolar and semipolar stationary phases

The complex hydrocarbons and volatile compounds produced by cultured blue-green alga Nostoc sp. were separated by serially coupled capillary columns with consecutive nonpolar and semipolar stationary phases. More than 130 metabolites including, cyclohexane, cyclopentane, normal saturated hydrocarbons (C-7-C-30), fatty acids and benzene derivatives were identified by CC-MS. The most abundant family of hydrocarbons identified were derivatives of cyclohexane (41) and cyclopentane (11), Most of these compounds have not been reported previously in blue-green algae studies. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.