Biotechnological Potential of a New Strain of Bracteacoccus bullatus (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta) as a Promising Producer of Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Yevhen Maltsev, I. А. Maltseva, Svetlana Maltseva, Maxim Kulikovskiy
Abstract
A new strain of Bracteacoccus bullatus Fučiková, Flechtner et L.A. Lewis belonging to green algae has been isolated from forest litter at a locust plantation located in a steppe zone of Ukraine. The strain has been identified by its morphological characteristics and via a phylogenetic analysis using the 18S rDNA gene and the ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS2 region. The new strain has been put into the monophyletic B. bullatus clade with a high statistical support. The study of its growth and lipid accumulation rates has allowed for achieving a dry biomass and total lipid content equal to 2.31 g/L and 55.84%, respectively, after a 15-day cultivation on 3N BBM medium. The analysis of fatty acid composition of the strain has shown the prevalence of palmitic 16:0, hexadecadiene 16:2(7Z,10Z), oleic 18:1(9Z), and linoleic 18:2(9Z,12Z) acids, which comprise 91.9% of the total fatty acid content. Compared to other Bracteacoccus strains, the strain MZ–Ch32 demonstrates the maximum content of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. With allowance for its growth characteristics and fatty acid profile, the new strain of B. bullatus can be considered as a potential producer of essential linoleic or oleic acids. A balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the biomass makes it possible to use the strain as a component of forage and feeding additives in agriculture.