Comparative Analysis of the Biomass Production and Nutritional Profiles of Two Wild-Type Strains of Yarrowia lipolytica

Sustainability represents a significant global challenge, requiring a balance between environmental impact and the use of natural resources. White biotechnology, which uses microorganisms and enzymes for environmentally friendly products and processes, offers promising solutions to support a growing population. Within this context, the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica stands out, so we investigated the generation of biomass from two wild strains (ATCC 9773 and NRRL Y-50997) using different carbon sources. Additionally, protein content and amino acid profiles were assessed via standardized analytical methods to evaluate their potential as nutritional yeasts. Both strains demonstrated potential as nutritional yeasts, with biomass productivities of up to 35.5 g/L and 42 g/L, respectively. The protein content was high, with 58.8% for ATCC 9773 and 58.2% for NRRL Y-50997. Furthermore, the strains presented essential amino acid contents of 62.6% and 41.5%, with lysine being the most abundant amino acid. These findings underscore the versatility and productivity of Y. lipolytica, highlighting its potential for sustainable biotechnological applications such as single-cell protein production.