Microbial oil production from carbohydrates using Sporobolomyces carnicolor strain O33

Abstract

A Sporobolomyces spp. (strain O33) was isolated from soil as a potential resource for producing microbial oil from carbohydrates. This microbe produced intracellular lipids from various carbohydrates, such as hexose, pentose, and polysaccharides. Major fatty acids found in the lipids were C18:1 (36-55%), C16:0 (18-29%), and C18:2 (15-28%), and these were clearly distinct from those produced by Lipomyces, Rhodotorula, and Yarrowia spp. Preliminary examination of lipid formation with an optimized C:N ratio resulted in a yield of 1.65 g/l and a lipid content of 50%. These results suggest that Sporobolomyces strain O33 has a potential application in the mass production of single cell oil. © Springer-Verlag and the University of Milan 2011.