Lipid Profile Comparisons of Eight Edible Microalgal Species via UPLC–HRMS: Implications for the Industrial Development and Food Nutritional Applications of Microalgal Oil

was highly enriched in sphingolipids (50.3% of the total lipids), making the two species ideal industrial raw materials for glycolipid and sphingolipid production, respectively. These eight edible microalgal species were abundant in polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, a rare acylated derivative of sulfolipid, acyl-sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (acSQDG), was identified in five microalgal species. Multivariate analysis confirmed lipid classes as effective biomarkers for discriminating the eight cross-phyla edible microalgal species. Overall, this study provides comprehensive lipidomic characterization of these eight microalgae and offers valuable guidance for the industrial development of microalgal oils.