Glucose Utilization and Lipid Production by Oleaginous Yeast Cultures

The laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different concentrations of glucose ranges from 0.11 to 0.66 M and utilization pattern (7 days) was studied for lipid production in oleaginous yeast cultures. Lipid and biomass production was gradually increased in response to glucose concentration. In Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodosporidium toruloides and Lipomyces starkeyi lipid content reached maximum as 4.55 g l^-1 (40.26 per cent), 4.25 g l^-1 (38.20 per cent) and 4.23 g l^-1 (38.10 per cent), respectively at 0.55 M of glucose concentration. Biomass content was also high as 11.30, 11.13 and 11.10 g l^-1, respectively at 0.55 M concentration. While studying the utilization pattern, consumption of glucose was started from the second day with small amount of lipid and biomass production and it was gradually increased on third and fourth days of fermentation period. Maximum amount of lipid (4.80, 4.64 and 4.61 g l^-1) and biomass (11.40, 11.26 g, 11.20 g l^-1) was recorded on fifth day of fermentation with the utilization of 0.5 M of glucose. Then decline in lipid production was observed on sixth and seventh days. At the end of fermentation Rhodotorula glutinis utilized 0.55 M of carbon and exhibited 4.56 g l^-1 of lipid and 11.30 g l^-1 of biomass.