High yield of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids by labyrinthulids on soybean lecithin-dispersed agar medium

The aim of the present research was to provide an effective long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) production by labyrinthulids using soybean lecithin (SBL). Use of SBL-dispersed agar medium resulted in higher LCPUFA production than soybean oil. Among the components of SBL, phosphatidylinositol (PI) and triacylglycerol (TG) were revealed to be essential factors for high growth of labyrinthulids. PI was effective for surface growth, and TG was effective for three-dimensional growth. The presence of some elements like carotenoids in SBL and the smaller droplet size of dispersed SBL were also attributed to be factors for the higher LCPUFA productivity on SBL medium. LCPUFA productivity and the volume of the oval form of the cells increased with increasing SBL concentration up to 40 g/l. Under optimum conditions, LCPUFA production of the L25 strain, isolated from Ogasawara Island in Japan, reached 2.91 g/l after 21 days.