The Cultivation and Lipids Accumulation of Cryptococcus curvatus O3 Yeast

Abstract:

Recent demand for biodiesel worldwide has turned vegetable fats into an ever-growing and substantial consumption resource. In this regard, microbial lipids which triacylglycerol(TAG) is similar to the vegetable fats, may be a prospective alternative feedstock for biodiesel industry. Described herein are preliminary screening studies on Cryptococcus curvatus O3 strain for assimilation glucose to produce microbial lipids. Cryptococcus curvatus O3 When cultivated by shaking flask at 30°C with glucose as sole carbon source, cellular biomass and lipid content were 51.8 g/L and 65.1%. Therefor Cryptococcus curvatus O3 strain can be defined as an oleaginous yeast. Gas chromatography analysis of microbial lipids revealed that major constituent fatty acids were palmic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid. The percentage of SFA (saturated fatty acid)in the lipid of Cryptococcus curvatus O3 is 64%. Such compositional feature was quite similar to cocoa butter, one of the high quality vegetable fats. Therefore, the oleaginous yeast could be considered as an ideal host for fermentation of biomass for lipids.

Key words:Cryptococcus curvatus O3 yeast, Fermentation, Microbial lipids, Fatty acids