Volatile oils from marine macroalgae

Abstract

Volatile oils of algae contain a variety of compounds. The main group, terpenes, contains acyclic: linalool, geraniol, citronellol; monocyclic: limonene, 1-8-cineol, p-cymene; bicyclic: α- and β-pinene, cadinene, aromatic eugenol, and isoeugenol. The others are benzaldehyde, phenol, p-cresol, various acids, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, ketones, sulfur containing and halogenated compounds. When volatile oil components of algae and terrestrial plants are compared, the algae were found to be relatively poor. Importantly, halogenated compounds occur only in algae, but not in terrestrial plants. In this chapter, we present briefly but comprehensively the occurrence of various volatile compounds in different classes of algae.