The alga Bracteacoccus bullatus (Chlorophyceae) isolated from snow, as a source of oil comprising essential unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids

0574982 - BÚ 2024 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Lukavský, Jaromír - Kopecký, Jan - Kubáč, David - Kvíderová, Jana - Procházková, Lenka - Řezanka, Tomáš
The alga Bracteacoccus bullatus (Chlorophyceae) isolated from snow, as a source of oil comprising essential unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids.
Journal of Applied Phycology. Roč. 35, FEB 2023 (2023), s. 649-660. ISSN 0921-8971. E-ISSN 1573-5176
R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TE01020080; GA MŠMT LTAIN19139; GA TA ČR(CZ) TN01000048
EU Projects: European Commission(CZ) 887227
Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:61388971
Keywords : Bracteacoccus bullatus * Cryoseston * Polyunsaturated fatty acids
OECD category: Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology; Microbiology (MBU-M)
Impact factor: 3.3, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-023-02916-1

A unicellular alga isolated from snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Spain) was characterised using a polyphasic approach. Comparative analysis of ITS2 rDNA secondary structures identified the new culture (CCALA 1120 Cepák and Lukavský
Nova Hedwigia 94:163–173, 2012) as being conspecific with Bracteacoccus bullatus (Chlorophyceae). For the first time this study documented sexual reproduction as the pairing of gametes and also an-isogamy. Strain CCALA 1120 had a temperature optimum of growth about 21 °C and an irradiance optimum above 160 μmol photons m−2 s−1. It was cultivated in pilot-plant scale, using an open thin-layer photobioreactor in a greenhouse with only partial temperature control. After harvest, a high proportion of fatty acids was found (15.3% of dry mass) with linoleic (18:2ω-6) 18.3% and α-linolenic acids (18:3ω-3) 17.4%
being the most abundant. Monounsaturated fatty acids accounted for about 30% with oleic (18:1ω-9) and vaccenic acids (18:1 ω-7) as the most prominent. The ratio of PUFA ω-6/ω-3 was 1:1.16, i.e. near to the ideal ratio of 1:1, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Biomass production was 2.67 g m–2 day−1 of dry weight, i.e. 0.2 g L−1 day−1. At the end of growth phase, total carotenoids made up 10.1 mg L−1. These results indicate that B. bullatus is suitable for production of a vegetable oil at lower temperatures (12–18 °C) and comprising a high content of unsaturated fatty acids.

Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0344861