PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF ARACHIDONIC-ACID CONCENTRATE BY A STRAIN OF MORTIERELLA-ALPINA

Various Mortierella alpina fungi were screened for their capacities to produce arachidonic acid. A strain of M. alpina was found to show the highest productivity. Arachidonic acid content of biomass and overall yield per litre of culture was highest in soya flour supplemented medium which produced dispersed mycelium. When the glucose concentration in the medium was varied from 30 to 100 g/L, biomass, lipid, arachidonic acid content of biomass and arachidonic acid yield increased with increasing glucose concentration. Several natural oils, when added to the growth medium, stimulated arachidonic acid production. After fermentation in a 20-L fermenter under optimal culture conditions, the arachidonic acid yield was 5.3 g/L, representing 34.2% w/w of total fatty acids and 13.7% w/w of biomass. An extract containing 72.5% w/w arachidonic acid was prepared from the recovered mycelium.