Effect of cultivation temperature and light intensity on fatty acid production in the red alga Prophyridium cruentum

The spectrum of fatty acids was studied in a unicellular red alga Prophyridium cruentum , strain 1380‐1a, grown in a photostate at 21, 24 and 28 °C and irradianee 30 and 60 W · m −2 . Basic growth characteristics were determined for the strain under these conditions. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (18:2, 20:4, 20:5) increaserd with decreasing cultivaration temperature, their relative proportion changing depending on irradition intensity; the proportion of 18:2 and 20:4 acids was higher at a substraturation irradiance (20 W · m −2 ) while at saturation irradiance (60 W · m −2 ) the proportion of the 20:5 acid was substantially increased. The production os atured acids (16:0) declined with decreasing temperature.