Abstract

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids which are necessary for human health obtained only through diet. The three types of omega-3 fatty acids are involved in human physiology are alpha linolenic acid found in plant oils (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA; DHA) both are commonly found in biological sources of marine origin. Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Among the microalgae, Nannochloropsis have been identified for the high EPA content. It is very important to reduce the economic value of the range of products, fuel to pharma from the high lipid productivity strains. In the present study, we have explored a simple preliminary screening method by enrichment technique for selecting oleaginous microbes and optimized several culture parameters with maximum algal growth observed when cultured in f/2 media and at optimal temperature 25 ̊ C. Further high yield of biomass and lipid content with 8.6 g/L and 0.17 g/dry wt (17%) respectively were achieved when using urea as an economical nitrogen source. 0.9% EPA was achieved from N.gaditana cultivated in laboratory conditions. This study paved for future opportunities of large scale production of omega 3 fatty acids from Nannochloropsis gaditana and suggested further optimization of culture conditions in photobioreactor systems would yield maximum omega 3 fatty acids in commercialization aspects.

Authors and Affiliations