To improve lipid productivity, co-cultivation of Chlorella sp. U4341 and Monoraphidium sp. FXY-10 for lipid production was studied. Compared with mono-cultivations, co-cultivation of the two microalgae significantly increased the accumulation of total biomass and total lipid yield, and enhanced the lipid productivity (29.52 mg L(-1) d(-1)). Fatty acid compositions significantly varied in different cultivations. The content of C18 fatty acids in co-cultivation significantly increased, especially for oleic acid (32.45%) and linolenic acid (10.03%) compared with that in mono-cultivation. Moreover, high saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (55.85%) were obtained in co-cultivation, which suggests their potential as a biodiesel feedstock.
Keywords: Biodiesel; Chlorella; Co-cultivation; Fatty acids; Lipid productivity; Monoraphidium.
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