Two-level factorial analysis of the effect of fructose on DHA biosynthetic capacity of Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1

Vidyah Manikan; Yusuf Nazir; Aidil Abdul Hamid

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06085

Two-level factorial analysis of the effect of fructose on DHA biosynthetic capacity of Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1

Heliyon. 2021 Jan 28;7(1):e06085. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06085. eCollection 2021 Jan.

Authors

Vidyah Manikan¹, Yusuf Nazir², Aidil Abdul Hamid¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
² Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.

Abstract

Thraustochytrids are getting increasingly popular due to their high potential role as alternative producers of the high-valued ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While most thraustochytrids prefer glucose as the major carbon source, few strains have been reported to prefer fructose. One such strain is Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1. In this study, the effect of fructose on DHA accumulation by SW1 was investigated using a two-level full factorial design. Besides, biomass, lipid and DHA accumulation profiles of SW1 cultivated in fructose and glucose media were compared. Results revealed that fructose has a very significant positive effect on the volumetric DHA content. Meanwhile, its involvement in affecting DHA biosynthetic capacity, though significant, is not very profound. It was also found that when cultivated in fructose medium, SW1 had a less steep log phase compared to that of glucose medium. However, after 48h of cultivation, biomass and lipid accumulation in fructose medium outweighed the other. Volumetric DHA content in fructose medium at 96h was 11% higher than that of glucose medium. Overall, fructose was found to be a more suitable substrate for biomass, lipid and DHA accumulation in SW1 compared to the conventional source, glucose.

Keywords: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); Factorial design; Fructose; Thraustochytrids.