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Insights into the special physiology of Mortierella alpina cultured by agar supported solid state fermentation in enhancing arachidonic acid enriched lipid production

Summary

Researchers developed a new eco-friendly method to produce arachidonic acid (ARA), an important nutrient used in supplements, pharmaceuticals, and baby formula. Using a solid fermentation technique with the fungus Mortierella alpina, they achieved 1.6 times higher yields compared to traditional methods while reducing wastewater. By understanding how the fungus grows in different conditions and optimizing nutrients, they created a more sustainable and efficient production process.

Background

Arachidonic acid (ARA) is an important polyunsaturated fatty acid used in pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and cosmetics. Mortierella alpina is typically cultivated using submerged fermentation to produce ARA-rich lipids. Solid-state fermentation offers potential advantages including reduced wastewater production and lower energy consumption.

Objective

This study evaluated agar-supported solid-state fermentation (AgSF) as a novel strategy for ARA-rich lipid production in Mortierella alpina M0223 and investigated the physiological mechanisms underlying enhanced lipid accumulation compared to submerged fermentation (SmF).

Results

AgSF-M0223 achieved 74.26% higher lipid content and 72.53% ARA composition compared to SmF. The mycelial network of AgSF comprised surface hyphae (SH) with attenuated citrate cycle and enhanced triglyceride synthesis, and aerial hyphae (AH) with high initial lipid content. Optimization with nutrient spraying increased yields to 12.64 g/L lipids with 70.41% ARA, representing 1.63-fold improvement.

Conclusion

AgSF represents a promising eco-friendly fermentation strategy for ARA-rich lipid production. The unique physiological characteristics of SH and AH, coupled with nutrient optimization and spraying strategies, enabled significantly higher yields than conventional submerged fermentation while reducing environmental impact.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40335580
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