Abstract
The prymnesiophyte Isochrysis aff. galbana (T-ISO) contains relatively large amounts of valuable lipids and is commonly grown as a food source for commercial production in aquaculture. The effect of environmental conditions, such as light intensity and nitrogen availability, on cellular chemical composition with special emphasis on lipid content has been studied in continuously grown cultures of I. galbana. High light intensity caused accumulation of carbohydrates, while cellular lipid content slightly decreased. Nitrogen limitation, however, caused an increase of both carbohydrate and lipid content. Variations in cellular lipid content were associated with changes in fatty acid composition. High light conditions or severe nitrogen limitations were associated with an increase in the relative abundance of palmitic (C16:0) and oleic (C18:1 ) acids and a decrease in the percentage of the polyunsaturated fatty acid C18:4. The relative distribution of the highly unsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6) slightly increased under high light conditions and decreased under low nitrogen levels. Thus the polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio decreased when I. galbana was grown under high irradiance levels or under nitrogen-limiting conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 61-72 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Aquaculture |
| Volume | 97 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Sep 1991 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
