title: An inexpensive medium for production of arachidonic acid by Mortierella alpina.
abstract: The production of arachidonic acid was studied in the fungus Mortierella alpina using an inexpensive medium. Glucose derived from maize starch hydrolysate was the sole carbon source and defatted soybean meal and sodium nitrate were the nitrogen sources. Optimal arachidonic acid yield (1.47 g l(-1)) was observed at a glucose concentration of 100 g l(-1). Various treatments of defatted soybean meal to extract soluble nitrogen nutrients were evaluated. Alkali extract was the most effective for arachidonic acid production. A mixture of soybean alkali-extract protein and sodium nitrate was an excellent nitrogen source for fungal growth, lipid accumulation, and arachidonic acid production. A maximum yield of 1.87 g arachidonic acid l(-1) was obtained with a soybean protein concentration of 4.6 g l(-1) and a sodium nitrate concentration of 2.3 g l(-1).
authors.affiliation: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, 430074, Wuhan, People's Republic of China. zhumin@hust.edu.cn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: L-J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Y-X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003470:Culture Media; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D020094:Mortierella / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009566:Nitrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C031618:sodium nitrate