Site-Specific Lipidomic Signatures of Sea Lettuce ( spp., Chlorophyta) Hold the Potential to Trace Their Geographic Origin.

The wild harvest and aquaculture of spp. has deserved growing attention in Europe. However, the impact of geographical origin on the biochemical composition of different species and/or strains is yet to be described in detail. Hence, the present study aimed to detect the variability of the lipidome of different species and/or strains of originating from different geographic locations. We hypothesized that lipidomic signatures can be used to trace the geographic origin post-harvesting of these valuable green seaweeds. spp. was sampled from eight distinct ecosystems along the Atlantic Iberian coast and was sourced from an aquaculture farm operating a land-based integrated production site. Results showed significant differences in the lipidomic profile displayed by spp. originating from different locations, namely, due to different levels of polyunsaturated betaine lipids and galactolipids; saturated betaine lipids and sulfolipids; and some phospholipid species. Overall, a set of 25 site-specific molecular lipid species provide a unique lipidomic signature for authentication and geographic origin certification of species. Present findings highlight the potential of lipidome plasticity as a proxy to fight fraudulent practices, but also to ensure quality control and prospect biomass for target bioactive compounds.