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Production of docosahexaenoic acid by Thraustochytrium aureum

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Summary

Thraustochytrium aureum ATCC 34 304 contained approximately 50% of total fatty acids as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Lipid content of the biomass was dramatically influenced by medium composition and ranged from 0.3 to 16% of the biomass weight. Increasing the culture medium glucose concentration from 5 to 20 g/l caused the lipid content of the biomass to increase from 2.7 to 16.5% and the DHA yield to increase from 26 to 270 mg/l of whole culture broth. The proportion of DHA in lipids was independent of glucose concentration. The fatty acid profile observed in the high-yielding DHA culture was: 16:0, 19.2%; 18:1, 9.8%; 18:2, 2.4%; 20:4, 4.9%; 20:5, 3.6%; 22:6, 48.5% and others, 7.1%. For DHA production, fungal cultures were incubated on an orbital shaker under light at 25° C for 6 days.

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Author notes

  1. Pratima Bajpai & Pramod K. Bajpai

    Present address: Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Division, Thapar Corporate Research and Development Centre, Post Box No. 68, 147 001, Patiala, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Pratima Bajpai, Pramod K. Bajpai & Owen P. Ward

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  1. Pratima Bajpai
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  2. Pramod K. Bajpai
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  3. Owen P. Ward
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Bajpai, P., Bajpai, P.K. & Ward, O.P. Production of docosahexaenoic acid by Thraustochytrium aureum . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 706–710 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169881

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169881

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