Concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in an arachidonic acid-producing fungus, Mortierella alpina 1S-4, grown with fish oil

Abstract

The intracellular concentration of 5,8,11,14,17-cis-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 4,7,10,13,16,19-cis-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was carried out by Mortierella alpina 1S-4 in a medium containing fish oil as the main carbon source. The EPA and DHA contents reached 29.2% and 20.0% of total fatty acids, respectively, when the fungus was grown in a medium containing salmon oil (EPA and DHA contents, 14.0% and 17.3%, respectively) as the main carbon source in a 5-1 bench-scale fermentor. EPA and DHA in the added fish oil were incorporated into both the mycelial polar lipids and triglycerides.