BIOCONVERSION OF ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID INTO LONG CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS BY OLEAGINOUS FUNGI

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) i.e., eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have established role in the prevention of several diseases
like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, and arthritis. However, LCPUFA sources
are limited for availability and acceptability problems of fish and flax oil. Microbial sources
of n-3 PUFA are of merit being cheaper, contamination free and vegan. We here report
fungi that can convert ∝-linolenic acid (ALA) from flax seed meal (FSM) into EPA and
DHA in dose-dependent manner and therefore serve as valuable LCPUFA sources.
Mucor sp. and R. oligosporous cultivated on FSM supplemented medium accumulated 34
and 36% lipids of dry biomass. Wherein, Mucor sp produced 6.01mg DHA per gram of
lipid at 10% FSM at 28°C, while Rhizopus oligosporus produced 14.32 mg of DHA/gm of
lipid at 3% FSM at 20°C. These novel yet exploitable sources of LCPUFA are valuable to
ensure EPA/DHA for human supplementation.