Production and Identification of Omega-6 Fatty Acid (11,14-Eicosadienoic Acid) Using Fungi as a Model

Abstract

Productions of essential fatty acids from fungi are attracted topics in the field of biotechnology. So this study focuses on the production of 11,14-eicosadienoic acid which is considered as an essential fatty acid. This fatty acid is produced when growing fungi in nitrogen-limiting media. Penicillium chrysogenum, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Trichoderma harzianum are the key stones of this study. P. chrysogenum strains were isolated from Iraqi soil and set aside in Biology species Bank, Science College for Women, Baghdad University. And R. stolonifer and T. harzianum strains were isolated from Iraqi soil and set aside in Biology species bank College of Science, University of Kufa. These species have been identified by Dr. Mohammad Mohsien Abdulhusien Alrufae. Penicillium chrysogenum, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Trichoderma harzianum are cultivated on media used for lipid production in limited nitrogen source and excessive carbon source. Batch culture is the mode of cultivation used for fungi growth. Biomass for P. chrysogenum culture was (10) g/l with total lipid content of 4.18%. There is no evidence for the production of 11,14-eicosadienoic acid in this fungi, and in contrast, R. stolonifer and T. harzianum showed high concentration of 11,14-eicosadienoic acid (16.8% and 16%, respectively). Rhizopus stolonifer culture showed 13 g/l as biomass with 6% lipid from biomass, whereas Trichoderma produced 8 g/l) biomass and 6.24% total lipid content from the biomass. Rhizopus stolonifer and Trichoderma harzianum could be considered as alternative sources for omega-6 fatty acids (11,14-eicosadienoic acid).