Food Lipids: Chemistry, Nutrition, and Biotechnology

Table 1 Lipid Content and Levels of Major Constituent Fatty Acids in Biomass of
Lipid-Accumulating Microalgae
Organism
Chlorella vulgaris
Botryococcus braunii
Scenedesmus acutus
Navicula pelliculosa
Lipid content
(% w/w of
biomass)
39
53–70
26
22–32
Fatty acid (% w/w of total) a
16:0 16:1�9 18:1 18:2 18:3�3
16
12
15
21
a
Fatty acids are designated by number of C atoms (left of colon) and number of cis double bonds (right
of colon).
Source Ref. 2.
whereas prokaryotic organisms, such as bacteria, produce more specific lipids, e.g.,
wax esters, polyesters, poly-�-hydroxybutyrate, etc. This section will cover a few
selected microorganisms that have some potentials of application for the production
of triacylglycerols and other lipids from nonlipidic and lipid-containing carbon
sources. For a more comprehensive review on this subject, the reader is referred to
(2–7).
1. Oils and Fats
Lipid content and the levels of major constituent fatty acids in the biomass of a few
selected species of lipid accumulating microorganisms are given in Table 1 for microalgae,
Table 2 for yeasts, and Table 3 for molds (fungi).
Table 2 Lipid Content and Levels of Major Constituent Fatty Acids in Biomass of
Lipid-Accumulating Yeasts
Organism Carbon source
2
2
1
57
Lipid content
(% w/w of
biomass)
58
59
8
5
9
4
20
2
14
30
Fatty acid (% w/w of total) a
16:0 16:1 18:0 18:1 18:2
Candida curvata D
(Apiotrichum curvatum)
Whey (lactose) 58 32 15 44 8
Cryptococcus albidus Glucose, ethanol 65 16 1 3 56
Lipomyces lipofer Ethanol, glucose 64 37 4 7 48 3
Lipomyces starkeyi Ethanol, glucose 63 34 6 5 51 3
Rhodosporidium
Glucose, mixed 66 18 3 3 66 0
toruloides
sugars
Trichosporon pullulans Ethanol, glucose 65 15 2 57 24
Rhodotorula glutinis Glucose, mixed
sugars
72 37 1 3 47 8
Yarrowia lipolytica
(Candida lipolytica)
Glucose 32–36 11 6 1 28 51
a
Fatty acids are designated by number of C atoms (left of colon) and number of cis double bonds (right of colon).
Source: Ref. 2.
Copyright 2002 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved.