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Mixotrophic growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum on glycerol: growth rate and fatty acid profile

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Abstract

Mixotrophic growth of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)producing diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX640 was carried out in 1-L batch cultures under anexternal irradiance of 165 μmol photons m-2s-1 by supplementing the inorganic culture mediumwith glycerol. The effect on the growth and the fattyacid profile was studied for different initialglycerol concentrations (0–0.1 M). The optimalglycerol concentration was 0.1 M.A lag phase was observed at high glycerolconcentrations. The present study also shows thatsuccessive additions of glycerol at 0.1M concentrationand using ammonium chloride as a nitrogen sourceremarkably increased the maximum biomass concentration(16.2 g L-1) and maximum biomass productivity(61.5 mg L-1 h-1). These values wererespectively 9 and 8-fold higher than in thephotoautotrophically grown control. The level ofsaponifiable lipids in mixotrophically cultured cellswas significantly higher than in photoautotrophicallycultured cells and increased with the glycerolconcentration in the medium. The concentration ofstorage lipids, saturated and monounsaturated fattyacids, were enhanced but the EPA content did notchange significantly. The EPA content was around 2.2%of biomass dry weight. The maximum EPA yield was33.5 mg L-1 d-1 and was obtained in aculture containing 0.1 M glycerol, supplementedperiodically by ammonium chloride. This productivitywas 10-fold higher than the EPA productivity obtainedunder mixotrophic conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Almería, E-04071, Almería, Spain

    M.C. Cerón Garcí, J.M. Fernández Sevilla, F.G. Acién Fernández, E. Molina Grima & F. García Camacho

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  1. M.C. Cerón Garcí
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  2. J.M. Fernández Sevilla
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  3. F.G. Acién Fernández
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  4. E. Molina Grima
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  5. F. García Camacho
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Cerón Garcí, M., Fernández Sevilla, J., Acién Fernández, F. et al. Mixotrophic growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum on glycerol: growth rate and fatty acid profile. Journal of Applied Phycology 12, 239–248 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008123000002

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