Impact of nitrogen regime on fatty acid profiles of Desmodesmus quadricaudatus and Chlorella sp. and ability to produce biofuel

Abstract

Microalgae have emerged as one of the most promising sources for fatty acid production. Since the various fatty acid profiles (chain length, degree of unsaturation, and branching of the chain) of the different sources influence biodiesel fuel properties, it is important to possess data on how the presence of NaNO 3 as nitrogen source can influence the profile of produced fatty acids from algae. The fatty acid profiles of Desmodesmus quadricaudatus and Chlorella sp. were detected in pure batch cultures experiments. BG-11 nitrogen free medium and the medium contained 1.5 g NaNO 3 l -1 were used in this investigation. At late stationary growth phase in nitrogen free medium, Chlorella sp. produced 58.39% saturated fatty acids and 41.60% unsaturated fatty acids. While in medium contained 1.5 g NaNO 3 l -1 Chlorella sp. produced 62.08% saturated fatty acids and 37.92% unsaturated fatty acids. In nitrogen free medium D. quadricaudatus produced 66.92% saturated fatty acids and 33.07% unsaturated fatty acids. While in cultures contained 1.5 g NaNO 3 l -1 D. quadricaudatus produced 51.62% saturated fatty acids and 48.37% unsaturated fatty acids.The fatty acid profile of Chlorella sp. and D. quadricaudatus that isolated from Egyptian water body and grown in nitrogen free medium may be suitable for biodiesel production. The results discussed and compared to fatty acid profiles produced by other algal species.

High-Throughput Screening of Chlorella Vulgaris Growth Kinetics inside a Droplet-Based Microfluidic Device under Irradiance and Nitrate Stress Conditions

“…The impact of the nitrogen regime on the growth and fatty acids profiles of Desmodesmus quadricaudatus and Chlorella sp. has been studied [35]. Further, the growth of C. vulgaris has also been significantly enhanced with an increase in light intensity as reported elsewhere [36,37,38].…”

Algal Biofuels: Current Status and Key Challenges

“…Algae are aquatic organisms with different species that range in size from microalgae to macroalgae [15] (Figure 2). They differ in shapes from a single cell to multicellular structures like filaments and colonies.…”

Sustainable production pathways for added-value products from microalgae : A superstructure optimization approach

“…Some of them do not have any roots, stems, or leaves and no sterile protection around reproductive cells [19]. Depending on the size, they divide into microalgae and macroalgae [20]. Macroalgae are made up of several cells; conversely, microalgae are a diverse community of microscopic photosynthetic species, several of which are found in unicellular form and various environments.…”