Response of growth and fatty acid compositions of Chlorella pyrenoidosa under mixotrophic cultivation with acetate and glycerol for bioenergy application

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy Vol. 58; pp. 251 - 257
• Main Authors: Rai, Monika Prakash, Nigam, Subhasha, Sharma, Rupali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: acetates; Algal culture (microalgae); biodiesel; Biofuel production; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; Biotechnology; byproducts; Chlorella pyrenoidosa; Energy; FAME; fatty acid composition; fatty acid methyl esters; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas chromatography; Glycerol; hydrogen production; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; lipid content; mass spectrometry; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Mixotrophic culture; oils; oleic acid; palmitic acid; Sodium acetate; transesterification; Glycerol; Chlorella pyrenoidosa; FAME; Mixotrophic culture; Sodium acetate; Growth; Power production; Algae; Lipids; Acetate; Chlorophyceae; Fatty acids; Chlorophyta; Mixotrophy; Bioenergy; Chemical composition; Fatty acid methyl ester; Culture
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.08.038

Chlorella pyrenoidosa was grown in mixotrophic condition in presence of sodium acetate and glycerol. Nearly, six fold enhancement in biomass productivity and a remarkable 32 fold increment in lipid productivity were recorded in cultures grown with sodium acetate (10 g m−3) in comparison to autotrophic culture. With glycerol (0.5% by volume fraction), the biomass productivity and lipid productivity were three times and twenty times higher as compared to control. Glycerol proved to be more beneficial in lipid accumulation produces lipid content of 17.3%, which is about seven times higher to that of the control. While, lipid content with sodium acetate was 13.5%, more than five times of control. Oil samples collected from C. pyrenoidosa were converted into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) through acid based transesterification and characterised by GC–MS. The fatty acid profiles of mixotrophic cultures showed its suitability for biofuel production than autotrophic cultures. The content of palmitic acid (C-16) and oleic acid (C-18) (indicator of biodiesel quality) is much higher in mixotrophic cultures than autotrophic cultures. C. pyrenoidosa, has shown significant improvement in growth and quantity as well as quality of lipid with acetate and glycerol. This provides a better way to produce biofuel at reduced overall cost since these substrates can be obtained as waste byproducts of some processes like biohydrogen production and biodiesel production. •Chlorella pyrenoidosa can grow mixotrophically on sodium acetate and glycerol.•Enhanced biomass productivity was achieved by using carbon sources.•There is remarkable increase in lipid content and lipid productivity from the Chlorella sp. under mixotrophic cultures.•The FAME profile of C. pyrenoidosa mixotrophic cultures was more desirable for biodiesel production than autotrophic culture.