Skip to main content

Fatty acids profile and temperature in the cultured marine diatom Odontella aurita

Journal of Applied Phycology volume 26, pages 2265–2271 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

The diatom Odontella aurita has now been industrially cultured and commercialized as a dietary supplement rich in omega-3 fatty acids for several years. In this study, we investigated the effect of three temperatures (8, 16, and 24 °C) on the growth and fatty acid composition of cells harvested during the exponential and stationary growth phases. These temperatures were selected on the basis of photosynthesis responses previously obtained at different temperatures using a modulated fluorometer. Our results confirm that both growth and lipid composition were sensitive to culture temperature. Growth was reduced when O. aurita was cultured at low temperature (8 °C) compared to when it was cultured at high temperatures (16 and 24 °C), but the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3) increased while the level of saturated fatty acids (SFAs, 14:0 and 16:0) decreased in the cells harvested during both the exponential and stationary growth phases. On the other hand, the cells grown at 24 °C displayed a marked decrease in PUFA and an increase in SFA levels. Harvesting time is also a critical parameter in achieving optimum n-3 PUFA productivity during batch cultivation. Indeed, changes in fatty acid composition with growth phase seem to be dependent on the culture temperature, with the most marked effects being observed at 24 °C. PUFA levels (i.e., levels of 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3) increased during the stationary growth phase, while the proportion of SFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) fell with time. As this species is currently grown in outdoor ponds with seasonal temperature variations (minimal and maximal average temperatures in winter and summer, from 3 to 9 °C and from 13 to 26 °C, respectively), this factor can be expected to have a strong influence on the fatty acid content and composition of the algal biomass harvested and commercialized.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Alhasan RH, Ghannoum MA, Sallal AK, Abu-Elten KH, Radwan SS (1987) Correlative changes of growth, pigmentation and lipid composition of Dunaliella salina in response to halostress. J Gen Microbiol 133:2607–2616

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bligh EG, Dyer WJ (1959) A rapid method of lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol 37:911–917

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braud JP (1997) Simultaneous culture in pilot tanks of the macroalga Chondrus crispus (Gigartinaceae) and the microalga Odontella aurita (Eupodiscaceae) producing EPA. In LeGal Y, Muller-Feuga A (eds) Marine microorganisms for industry. Éditions Ifremer, Plouzané, pp 39–47

  • Breuer G, Lamers PP, Martens DE, Wijffels RH (2012) The impact of nitrogen starvation on the dynamics of triacylglycerol accumulation in nine microalgae strains. Bioresource Technol 124:217–226

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Brouwer JFC, Wolfstein K, Stal LJ (2002) Physical characterization and diel dynamics of different fractions of extracellular polysaccharides in an axenic culture of a benthic diatom. Eur J Phycol 37:37–44

    Google Scholar 

  • De Castro AS, Tavano Garcia VM (2005) Growth and biochemical composition of the diatom Chaetoceros cf. wighamii Brightwell under different temperature, salinity and carbon dioxide levels. I. Protein, carbohydrates and lipids. Aquaculture 246:405–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan J, Yan C, Andre C, Shanklin J, Schwender J, Xu C (2012) Oil accumulation is controlled by carbon precursor supply for fatty acid synthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Cell Physiol 53:1380–1390

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fidalgo JP, Cid A, Torres E, Sukenik A, Herrero C (1998) Effects of nitrogen source and growth phase on proximate biochemical composition, lipid classes and fatty acid profile of the marine microalga Isochrysis galbana. Aquaculture 166:105–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong Y, Guo X, Wan X, Liang Z, Jiang M (2013) Triacylglycerol accumulation and change in fatty acid content of four marine oleaginous microalgae under nutrient limitation and at different culture ages. J Basic Microb 53:29–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths MJ, Harrison STL (2009) Lipid productivity as a key characteristic for choosing algal species for biodiesel production. J Appl Phycol 21:493–507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guihéneuf F, Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Tremblin G (2008) Environmental factors on growth and omega 3 fatty acid levels in Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae). Influence of irradiance and carbon source. Diatom Res 23:93–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guihéneuf F, Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Tremblin G (2009) Combined effects of irradiance level and carbon source on fatty acid and lipid class composition in the microalga Pavlova lutheri commonly used in mariculture. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 369:136–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guihéneuf F, Fouqueray M, Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Jacquette B, Tremblin G (2010) Effect of UV stress on the fatty acid and lipid class composition in two marine microalgae Pavlova lutheri (Pavlovophyceae) and Odontella aurita (Bacillariophyceae). J Appl Phycol 22:629–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guihéneuf F, Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Tremblin G (2011) Light-dependent utilization of two radiolabelled carbon sources, sodium bicarbonate and sodium acetate, and relationships with the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis in the microalga Pavlova lutheri (Pavlovophyceae). Eur J Phycol 46:43–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guihéneuf F, Ulmann L, Mimouni V, Tremblin G (2013) Use of radiolabeled substrates to determine the desaturase and elongase activities involved in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid biosynthesis in the marine microalga Pavlova lutheri. Phytochemistry 90:43–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haimeur A, Ulmann L, Mimouni V, Guéno F, Pineau-Vincent F, Meskini N, Tremblin G (2012) The role of Odontella aurita, a marine diatom rich in EPA, as a dietary supplement in dyslipidemia, platelet function and oxidative stress in high-fat fed rats. Lipids Health Dis 11:147

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison PJ, Waters RE, Taylor FJR (1980) A broad spectrum artificial seawater medium for coastal and open ocean phytoplankton. J Phycol 16:28–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang H, Gao K (2004) Effects of lowering temperature during culture on the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bacillariophyceae). J Phycol 40:651–654

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khozin-Goldberg I, Iskandarov U, Cohen Z (2011) LC-PUFA from photosynthetic microalgae: occurrence, biosynthesis, and prospects in biotechnology. Appl Microbiol Biot 91:905–915

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Tremblin G, Robert JM (2003) Desaturation of linoleic acid in the marine diatom Haslea ostrearia Simonsen (Bacillariophyceae). Cryptogamie Algol 24:269–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Mimouni V, Ulmann L, Pasquet V, Mathieu M, Picot L, Bougaran G, Cadoret JP, Morant-Manceau A, Schoefs B (2012) The potential of microalgae for the production of bioactive molecules of pharmaceutical interest. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 13:2733–2750

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moreau D, Tomasoni C, Cathrine J, Kaas R, Guedes L, Cadoret JP, Muller-Feuga A, Kontiza I, Vagias C, Roussis V, Roussakis C (2006) Cultivated microalgae and the carotenoid fucoxanthin from Odontella aurita as potent anti-proliferative agents in bronchopulmonary and epithelial cell lines. Envir Toxicol Pharmacol 22:97–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mus F, Toussaint JP, Cooksey KE, Fields MW, Gerlach R, Peyton BM, Carlson RP (2013) Physiological and molecular analysis of carbon source supplementation and pH stress-induced lipid accumulation in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Appl Microbiol Biot 97:3625–3642

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perkins RG, Mouget JL, Lefebvre S, Lavaud J (2006) Light response curve methodology and possible implications in the application of chlorophyll fluorescence to benthic diatoms. Mar Biol 149:703–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rech M, Mouget JL, Tremblin G (2003) Modification of the Hansatech FMS fluorometer to facilitate measurements with microalgal cultures. Aquat Bot 77:71–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renaud SM, Zhou HC, Parry DL, Thinh LV, Woo KC (1995) Effect of temperature on the growth, total lipid content and fatty acid composition of recently isolated tropical microalgae Isochrysis sp., Nitzschia closterium, Nitzschia paleacea, and commercial species Isochrysis sp. (clone T.ISO). J Appl Phycol 7:595–602

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Renaud SM, Thinh LV, Lambrinidis G, Parry DFL (2002) Effect of temperature on growth, chemical composition and fatty acid composition of tropical Australian microalgae grown in batch cultures. Aquaculture 211:195–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roncarati A, Meluzzi A, Acciarri S, Tallarico N, Meloti P (2004) Fatty acid composition of different microalgae strains (Nannochloropsis sp., Nannochloropsis oculata (Droop) Hibberd, Nannochloris atomus Butcher and Isochrysis sp.) according to the culture phase and the carbon dioxide concentration. J World Aquacult Soc 35:401–411

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rousch JM, Bingham SE, Sommerfeld MR (2003) Change in fatty acid profiles of thermo-intolerant and thermo-tolerant marine diatoms during temperature stress. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 295:145–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakamoto T, Los DA, Higashi S, Wada H, Nishida I, Ohmori M, Murata N (1994) Cloning of ω3 desaturase from cyanobacteria and its use in altering the degree of membrane-lipid unsaturation. Plant Mol Biol 26:249–263

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma KK, Schuhmann H, Schenk PM (2012) High lipid induction in microalgae for biodiesel production. Energies 5:1532–1553

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skrupski B, Wilson KE, Goff KL, Zou J (2013) Effect of pH on neutral lipid and biomass accumulation in microalgal strains native to the Canadian prairies and the Athabasca oil sands. J Appl Phycol 25:937–949

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Slover HT, Lanza E (1979) Quantitative analysis of food fatty acids by capillary gas chromatography. J Am Oil Chem Soc 56:933–943

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Su CH, Chien LJ, Gomes J, Lin YS, Yu YK, Liou JS, Syu RJ (2011) Factors affecting lipid accumulation by Nannochloropsis oculata in a two-stage cultivation process. J Appl Phycol 23:903–908

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tatsuzawa H, Takizawa E (1995) Changes in lipid and fatty acid composition of Pavlova lutheri. Phytochemistry 40:397–400

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tonon T, Harvey D, Larson TR, Graham IA (2002) Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid production and partitioning to triacylglycerols in four microalgae. Phytochemistry 61:15–24

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xia S, Wan L, Li A, Sang M, Zhang C (2013) Effects of nutrients and light intensity on the growth and biochemical composition of a marine microalga Odontella aurita. Chin J Oceanol Limnol 31:1163–1173

    Google Scholar 

  • Yongmanitchai W, Ward OP (1991) Growth of and omega-3 fatty acid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum under different culture conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:419–425

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang P, Liu S, Cong B, Wu G, Liu C, Lin X, Shen J, Huang X (2011) A novel omega-3 fatty acid desaturase involved in acclimation processes of polar condition from Antarctic ice algae Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L. Mar Biotechnol 3:393–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu CJ, Lee YK, Chao TM (1997) Effects of temperature and growth phase on lipid and biochemical composition of Isochrysis galbana TK1. J Appl Phycol 9:451–457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This work received funding from the FP7-KBBE European Collaborative Project GIAVAP and from the program PHC Volubilis MA/21/61 with financial participation of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Moroccan Ministry of Research. The authors would like to thank Monika Ghosh for revising the English text of the manuscript. We also thank the anonymous referees for their useful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département Génie Biologique, Laboratoire Mer Molécules Santé (EA 2160), LUNAM Université, Université du Maine, IUT de Laval, 52 rue des Drs Calmette et Guérin, 53020, Laval, France

    Virginie Pasquet, Lionel Ulmann & Virginie Mimouni

  2. Botany and Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Freddy Guihéneuf

  3. Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire Mer Molécules Santé (EA 2160), LUNAM Université, Université du Maine, Av. O. Messiaen, 72085, Le Mans, France

    Boris Jacquette, Annick Morant-Manceau & Gérard Tremblin

Authors
  1. Virginie Pasquet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lionel Ulmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Virginie Mimouni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Freddy Guihéneuf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Boris Jacquette
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Annick Morant-Manceau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gérard Tremblin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gérard Tremblin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pasquet, V., Ulmann, L., Mimouni, V. et al. Fatty acids profile and temperature in the cultured marine diatom Odontella aurita . J Appl Phycol 26, 2265–2271 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-014-0252-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-014-0252-3

Keywords

  • Diatom
  • Odontella aurita
  • Temperature
  • Lipids
  • n-3 Fatty acids
  • EPA
  • DHA