Culture media optimization of Porphyridium purpureum: production potential of biomass, total lipids, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid

Porphyridium purpureum a red marine microalga is
known for phycobiliproteins (PB), polyunsaturated fatty acids
and sulphated exopolysaccharides. In the present study, effects
of media constituents for the production of different polyunsaturated
fatty acids from P. purpureum were considered using
a response surface methodology (RSM). A second order polynomial
was used to predict the response functions in terms of
the independent variables such as the concentrations of sodium
chloride, magnesium sulphate, sodium nitrate and potassium
dihydrogen phosphate. The response functions were production
of biomass yield, total lipid and polyunsaturated fatty
acids like arachidonic acid (AA 20:4) and eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA 20:5). Results corroborated that maximumBiomass
(0.95 gL−1) yield was at the concentrations of sodium chloride
(14.89 gL−1), magnesium sulfate (3.93 gL−1) and sodium nitrate
(0.96 gL−1) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (0.09
gL−1). Optimum total lipid (17.9 % w/w) and EPA (34.6 % w/
w) content was at the concentrations of sodium chloride
(29.98 gL−1), magnesium sulfate (9.34 gL−1) and sodium
nitrate (1.86 gL−1). Variation in concentration of potassium
dihydrogen phosphate for both lipid (0.01gL−1) and EPA content
(0.20 gL−1) was observed. The optimum conditions for
biomass, total lipid, AA and EPA varied indicating their batch
mode of growth and interaction effect of the salt.