Production of arachidonic acid by Mortierella fungi

Abstract

The growing interest in the application of arachidonic acid (ARA) in various fields of health and dietary requirements has elicited much attention on the industrial production of ARA-containing oil by the cultivation of Mortierella fungi. For the industrial production of ARA, various studies, such as isolation of a high-potential strain and optimization of culture conditions, have been conducted. Studies including the investigation of morphology are important because ARA is accumulated in the mycelia, and thus cultivation with high biomass concentration is essential for obtaining a high ARA yield. Combining the results derived from various studies, a high ARA yield was attained in an industrial fermentor. These ARA production techniques are applicable to the production of other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and will contribute to the improvement of fermentation technology especially in the field of fungal cultivation.