Differential temperature effect on the production of enhanced gamma linolenic acid in Mucor rouxii CFR-G15.

Mucor rouxii CFR-G15, a locally isolated phycomycetous
fungus, on cultivation at room temperature produced
more than 30% (w/w) lipid in their dry cell weight, in
which 14.2% accounted to be GLA content of the total fatty
acids. It was observed that when incubation temperature
lowered at 14°C, GLA content of the mycelium increased
signifi cantly (P<0.05) from 14.2% to 21.97%. In order to
optimize the cultural conditions for high biomass and lipid
production with high GLA content, the fungus was grown
in association of two different temperatures and supply of
additional glucose in culture medium. Maximum lipid and
GLA were obtained 23.56 and 19.5% respectively, when the
culture was grown at 28°C for four days and followed by addition
of glucose (5%), and lowered the incubation temperature
to 14ºC for another four days. The presence of GLA in
the oil obtained from M. rouxii CFR-G15 was confi rmed by
the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Gamma linolenic
acid (GLA, n-6) is gaining importance in pharmaceutical
and nutraceutical industries because of clinical evidence
demonstrated that it has various benefi cial effects in human
health. In this paper temperature played a major role in enhancing
the GLA content which has been described.