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Efficient production of triacylglycerols rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by osmo-heterotrophic marine protists

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Abstract

Thraustochytrids have recently emerged as a promising source for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) production due to their high growth rate and oil content. In this study, two thraustochytrid isolates, Aurantiochytrium sp. PKU#SW7 and Thraustochytriidae sp. PKU#Mn16 were used for DHA production. Following growth parameters were optimized to maximize DHA production: temperature, pH, salinity, and glucose concentration. Both isolates achieved the highest DHA yield at the cultivation temperature of 28 °C, pH 6, 100 % seawater, and 2 % glucose. A DHA yield of 1.395 g/l and 1.426 g/l was achieved under the optimized culture conditions. Further investigation revealed that both isolates possess simple fatty acids profiles with palmitic acid and DHA as their dominant constituents, accounting for ∼79 % of total fatty acids. To date, very few studies have focused on the DHA distribution in various lipid fractions which is an important factor for identifying strains with a potential for industrial DHA production. In the present study, the lipids profiles of each strain both revealed that the majority of DHA was distributed in neutral lipids (NLs), and the DHA distribution in NLs of PKU#SW7 was exclusively in the form of triacylglycerols (TAGs) which suggest that PKU#SW7 could be utilized as an alternative source of DHA for dietary supplements. The fermentation process established for both strains also indicating that Aurantiochytrium sp. PKU#SW7 was more suitable for cultivation in fermenter. In addition, the high percentage of saturated fatty acids produced by the two thraustochytrids indicates their potential application in biodiesel production. Overall, our findings suggest that two thraustochytrid isolates are suitable candidates for biotechnological applications.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by State Ocean Administration Grant 1523, Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission grant 835 and a Key Project of Shenzhen Emerging Industries (No. JC201104210118A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment and Energy, Peking University-Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Ying Liu, Jie Tang, Jingjing Li, Maurycy Daroch & Jay J. Cheng

  2. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Jay J. Cheng

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  1. Ying Liu
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  2. Jie Tang
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Correspondence to Maurycy Daroch or Jay J. Cheng.

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Ying Liu and Jie Tang contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, Y., Tang, J., Li, J. et al. Efficient production of triacylglycerols rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by osmo-heterotrophic marine protists. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 9643–9652 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6032-9

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