Mychonastes afer HSO-3-1 as a potential new source of biodiesel

BACKGROUND Biodiesel is considered to be a promising future substitute for fossil fuels, and microalgae are one source of biodiesel. The ratios of lipid, carbohydrates and proteins are different in different microalgal species, and finding a good strain for oil production remains a difficult prospect. Strains producing valuable co-products would improve the viability of biofuel production. RESULTS In this study, we performed sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of an algal strain designated HSO-3-1, and found that it was closely related to the Mychonastes afer strain CCAP 260/6. Morphology and cellular structure observation also supported the identification of strain HSO-3-1 as M. afer. We also investigated the effects of nitrogen on the growth and lipid accumulation of the naturally occurring M. afer HSO-3-1, and its potential for biodiesel production. In total, 17 fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were identified in M. afer HSO-3-1, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The total lipid content of M. afer HSO-3-1 was 53.9% of the dry cell weight, and we also detected nervonic acid (C24:1), which has biomedical applications, making up 3.8% of total fatty acids. The highest biomass and lipid yields achieved were 3.29 g/l and 1.62 g/l, respectively, under optimized conditions. CONCLUSION The presence of octadecenoic and hexadecanoic acids as major components, with the presence of a high-value component, nervonic acid, renders M. afer HSO-3-1 biomass an economic feedstock for biodiesel production.