Haemolytic glycoglycerolipids from Gymnodinium species.

Glycoglycerolipids derived from microalgae can be a source of biologically active substances including toxins. Such glycolipids were analysed in two isolates of toxic marine dinoflagellates from European waters. The lipids of Gymnodinium mikimotoi contained 17% of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyl diacylglycerol (DGDG), while in Gymnodinium sp. the proportion was 35%. MGDG and DGDG from both species were haemolytic. The major unsaturated fatty acid in both algal glycolipids was 18:5 omega 3.