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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Analysis of Fatty Acid Content and Composition in Microalgae
Published on: October 1, 2013
Effect of nitrogen source on growth and lipid accumulation in Scenedesmus abundans and Chlorella ellipsoidea
Álvaro González-Garcinuño1, Antonio Tabernero1, José Ma Sánchez-Álvarez1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, P/Los Caídos s/n, Salamanca 37008, Spain.
Abstract:
Discovering microalgae strains containing a high lipid yield and adequate fatty acid composition is becoming a crucial fact in algae-oil factories. In this study, two unknown strains, named Scenedesmus abundans and Chlorella ellipsoidea, have been tested for their response to different nitrogen sources, in order to determine its influence in the production of lipids. For S. abundans, autotrophic culture with ammonium nitrate offers the maximum lipid yield, obtaining up to 3.55 mg L(-1) d(-1). For C. ellipsoidea, heterotrophic culture with ammonium nitrate has been shown to be the best condition, reaching a lipid production of 9.27 mg L(-1) d(-1). Moreover, fatty acid composition obtained from these cultures meets international biodiesel standards with an important amount of C18:1, achieving 70% of total fatty acids and thus representing a potential use of these two strains at an industrial scale.
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