Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Nannochloropsis sp. is a superior source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) compared to commercial Spirulina and Chlorella, which lack detectable levels of these long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
If you are looking for plant-based EPA, Nannochloropsis sp. is a much better source than Spirulina. This study found Spirulina had no detectable omega-3s, while Nannochloropsis sp. was rich in EPA. Look for supplements specifying Nannochloropsis sp. if you want these specific fatty acids.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Quantities of the FAs ARA and EPA were significantly higher in Nannochloropsis sp. than in all other microalgae samples... At a mean of 3.68% (dry weight), the quantity of EPA achieved in Nannochloropsis sp. biomass was more than 100-fold greater than in all other samples tested.
Why this rating
Biochemical analysis of algae culture, not human clinical outcomes.
Source
Nutritional Evaluation of Australian Microalgae as Potential Human Health Supplements
Megan Kent et al. · PLoS ONE · 2015
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0118985
mechanism_onlyCited 299×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Australian native microalgae (Scenedesmus sp., Nannochloropsis sp., Dunaliella sp., and a chlorophytic polyculture) offer superior or comparable nutritional profiles to commercial Spirulina and Chlorella supplements, specifically regarding high-quality protein, essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA, ALA, ARA), and antioxidant pigments.Moderate
- Australian native microalgae (Scenedesmus sp., Dunaliella sp., and CPC) provide high-quality protein with Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI) scores indicating 'high' quality, surpassing the 'good' or 'useful' quality of commercial Chlorella and Spirulina products.Moderate
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