Effects of different nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron concentrations and salinity on lipid production in newly isolated strain of the tropical green microalga, Scenedesmus dimorphus KMITL

Abstract

The fatty acid composition, the effect of different concentrations of nitrogen (16.5-344 mg L−1), phosphorus (9–45 mg L−1), iron (9–45 mg L−1) and salinity levels (0–20 psu) on lipid production in the green microalga Scenedesmus dimorphus KMITL, a new strain isolated from a tropical country, Thailand, were studied. The alga was isolated from a freshwater fish pond, and cultured in Chlorella medium by varying one parameter at a time. The main fatty acid composition of this strain was C16–C18 (97.52 %) fatty acids. A high lipid content was observed in conditions of 16.5 mg L−1-N, or 22 mg L−1-P, or 45 mg L−1-Fe, or 5 psu salinity, which accumulated lipids to 20.3 ± 0.4, 19.4 ± 0.2, 24.7 ± 0.5, and 14.3 ± 0.2 % of algal biomass, respectively. Increasing lipid content and lipid productivity was noted when the alga was cultured under high iron concentration and high salinity, as well as under reduced phosphorus conditions, whereas nitrogen limitation only resulted in an increased lipid content.