Effect of culture temperature on fatty acid composition ofChlorella sorokiniana

Chlorella sorokiniana was grown for extraction of fatty acids at seven temperatures ranging from 14 C to 38 C. The predominant fatty acids in C. sorokiniana grown at 38 C were saturated (46% of total); at 22 C, triunsaturated (40% of total); and at 14 C diunsaturated (47% of total). Increasing temperature resulted in an increase in the degree of unsaturation from 14 C to 22 C, but further increases in temperature always resulted in a decrease in unsaturation. At any point in the temperature range used, an increased temperature always resulted in fatty acids with a lower average chain length. Total fatty acid production was greatest at the extremes of temperature and lowest at 26 C. The chain length and degree of saturation of fatty acids increased at temperatures lower than 22 C. Therefore, the fatty acids of C. sorokiniana do not have an increasingly lower melting point when the culture temperature is reduced at temperatures 22 C or below.