Elshobary Mostafa E, Abo-Shanab Walaa A, Ende Stephan S W, Alquraishi Mohammed, El-Shenody Rania A
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
Aquaculture Research, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Biotechnol Biofuels Bioprod. 2025 Jan 18;18(1):7. doi: 10.1186/s13068-024-02602-5.
Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a versatile marine microalga renowned for its high-value metabolite production, including omega-3 fatty acids and fucoxanthin, with emerging potential for integrated biorefinery approaches that encompass biofuel and bioproduct generation. Therefore, in this study we aimed to optimize the cultivation conditions for boosting biomass, lipid, and fucoxanthin production in P. tricornutum, focusing on the impacts of different nutrient ratios (nitrogen, phosphorus, silicate), glycerol supplementation, and light regimes.
Optimized medium (- 50%N%, + 50% P, Zero-Si, 2 g glycerol) under low-intensity blue light (100 μmol m⁻ s⁻) improved biomass to 1.6 g L⁻, with lipid productivity reaching 539.25 mg g⁻, while fucoxanthin increased to 20.44 mg g. Total saturated fatty acid (ΣSFA) content in the optimized culture increased approximately 2.4-fold compared to the control F/2 medium. This change in fatty acid composition led to improved biodiesel properties, including a higher cetane number (59.18 vs. 56.04) and lower iodine value (53.96 vs 88.99 g I/100 g oil). The optimized conditions also altered the biodiesel characteristics, such as kinematic viscosity, cloud point, and higher heating value.
Our optimization approach reveals the significant potential of P. tricornutum as a versatile microbial platform for biomass, lipid, and fucoxanthin production. The tailored cultivation strategy successfully enhanced biomass and lipid accumulation, with notable improvements in biodiesel properties through strategic nutrient and light regime manipulation. These findings demonstrate the critical role of precise cultivation conditions in optimizing microalgal metabolic performance for biotechnological applications.
三角褐指藻是一种多功能海洋微藻，以生产包括ω-3脂肪酸和岩藻黄质在内的高价值代谢产物而闻名，在涵盖生物燃料和生物产品生产的综合生物炼制方法方面具有新的潜力。因此，在本研究中，我们旨在优化培养条件，以提高三角褐指藻的生物量、脂质和岩藻黄质产量，重点关注不同营养比例（氮、磷、硅酸盐）、甘油添加和光照条件的影响。
在低强度蓝光（100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹）下的优化培养基（-50%N%，+50%P，零硅，2 g甘油）使生物量提高到1.6 g L⁻¹，脂质生产率达到539.25 mg g⁻¹，而岩藻黄质增加到20.44 mg g⁻¹。与对照F/2培养基相比，优化培养中的总饱和脂肪酸（ΣSFA）含量增加了约2.4倍。脂肪酸组成的这种变化导致生物柴油性能得到改善，包括更高的十六烷值（59.18对56.04）和更低的碘值（53.96对88.99 g I/100 g油）。优化条件还改变了生物柴油的特性，如运动粘度、浊点和高热值。
我们的优化方法揭示了三角褐指藻作为生物量、脂质和岩藻黄质生产的多功能微生物平台的巨大潜力。量身定制的培养策略成功提高了生物量和脂质积累，通过战略性地操纵营养和光照条件，生物柴油性能有了显著改善。这些发现证明了精确培养条件在优化微藻代谢性能以用于生物技术应用方面的关键作用。
