Linoleic Acid Production Platform via Mortierellaceae Strains: Bioprospection, Molecular Characterization, Cultivation Optimization, and Respirometric Analysis.

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential dietary lipids, vital for health and cellular integrity, with growing applications in biofuel, food, and pharmaceuticals. In this sense, this work investigated the production of single cell oil (SCO) from newly isolated Mortierellaceae strains from Antarctica. These strains were identified through ITS region sequencing and one of them (Linnemannia sp. ACF038) was selected for scaling up studies. The study of the physiological characterization of the selected strain was made by assessing various parameters including pH, temperature, nitrogen sources, and concentrations through solid and flask cultures. Based on these results, it was possible to scale up and optimize the culture conditions for SCO production using bench-scale bioreactors with submerged cultures. This process involved the use of two different culture media and an in-depth kinetic study to identify the most effective strategy for SCO production. The study also examined the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient and oxygen consumption rate. The results showed that the culture medium with high initial glucose content and sodium nitrate significantly increased lipid production, reaching 65% of lipid content. Linoleic acid (LA) comprised 42% of the lipids, indicating strong potential for large-scale LA production. Linnemannia sp. ACF038 proved to be a promising candidate for sustainable industrial LA production, meeting the rising demand for PUFAs.