Table 1. Gross Chemical Composition of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria [% w/w] on a Dry Weight Basis.

		protein		carbohydrate		lipid		ash
species	phylum	mean ± SD	rangen	mean ± SD	rangen	mean ± SD	rangen	mean ± SD	rangen	total	ref
Arthrospira	Cyanobacteria
A. platensis		35a ± 10	21–43	36e ± 22	11–66	7h ± 2	4–8	n.d.		63–92	(60)
		35a ± 7	20–43	33e ± 18	9–66	7h ± 2	4–13	n.d.		59–99	(60)
		65b ± 5	59–72	15e ± 4	11–20	7I ± 0.4	6–7	n.d.		85–89	(6)
A. maxima		67b ± 3	63–70	14e ± 4	10–20	6I ± 1	6–7	n.d.		86–90	(6)
Arthrospira sp.		47a		14e		11j		8		80	(27)
Nannochloropsis	Ochrophyta
N. gaditana		44a ± 5	32–51	n.d.	n.d.	27k ± 4	20–30	8 ± 2	5–14	66–89	(61)
		52a,m ± 9	37–59	21e,m ± 5	16–27	27k,n ± 6	21–36	n.d.		100m	(62)
		41c		25f		26l		n.d.		92	(63)
Tetraselmis	Chlorophyta
T. impellucidao		36d		24g		19I		15		94	(19)
T. chuii		31d		12e		17k		n.d.		60	(25)
Tetraselmis sp.		26b		9e		14k		14		63	(26)
		30b		8e		13k		17		68	(26)
Scenedesmus	Chlorophyta
S. dimorphus		50a		6e		23k		2		83	(33)
S. obliquus		31a ± 13	11–43	28e ± 10	16–44	19j ± 3	16–24	10 ± 5	5–18	79–98	(27)
S. almeriensis		44c		25f		25l		n.d.		94	(63)

^aProtein content determined by Lowry after alkaline treatment.

^bProtein content determined by N*6.25.

^cProtein content determined by combustion with TGA-MS.

^dProtein content determined by amino acid composition.

^eCarbohydrate content determined by Dubois.

^fCarbohydrate content determined by combustion with TGA-MS.

^gCarbohydrate content determined by acid hydrolysis with HPAEC.

^hLipid content determined by sulfo-phospho-vanillin.

^ILipid content determined by Soxhlet.

^jLipid content determined by Folch.

^kLipid content determined by Bligh and Dyer.

^lLipid content determined by combustion with TGA-MS.

^mExpressed as percentage of the organic fraction.

ⁿRange due to varying culture conditions.

^oTetraselmis sp. used by Schwenzfeier et al. was later confirmed by the supplier to be T. impellucida. N.d. Not determined.