Growth and fatty acid profile of Nannochloropsis oceanica cultivated on nano-filtered whey permeate

Nano-filtered whey permeate (WP), a major by-product of dairy industry, is produced by membrane filtration of whey. The oleaginous microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica was successfully cultivated on WP without salinity and nutrient amendments. Growth, cell characteristics, and fatty acid profile of the cultures were analyzed using microscopy, flow cytometry, and GC analysis. WP was nitrogen limited, comprising primarily protein as a nitrogen source and only small amounts of free inorganic nitrogen (in the form of nitrate). Nannochloropsis oceanica (and associated bacteria) efficiently removed nitrate (100%), protein (87%), and phosphate (74%) from the whey permeate. Microscopic and flow cytometric analysis revealed diverse size distributions in whey permeate cultures, with significant cell aggregation attributed to low-salinity acclimatization and nitrogen limitation. Autofluorescence analysis revealed reduced photosynthetic activity in whey permeate-grown cells, possibly as a consequence of heightened mixotrophic activities on carbon source in the medium. Low nitrogen availability in whey permeate resulted in biomass with a fatty acid profile enriched in saturated fatty acids. Despite this, a considerable level of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (in the form of eicosapentanoic acid or EPA) was detected at ca. 16% of total fatty acids. Whey permeate proved beneficial for the growth of N. oceanica and yielded high concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid in the extracted lipids for potential applications in the feed/food industries.