Ortucu, Serkan; Yazici, Aysenur; Taskin, Mesut; Cebi, Kadir

This study was performed to produce lipids from the isolated oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula glutinis SO28 using loquat kernel extract (LKE) as substrate. LKE was prepared using acid hydrolysis and alkaline neutralization steps. Lipid production was performed in shaking flaks culture. Even if LKE was used as a sole source of nutritional substances, it could support cell growth and lipid synthesis in the yeast. Additional carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus sources were found to significantly alter the lipid accumulation potential of the yeast. Optimal concentrations of additional carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (ammonium sulphate) sources for lipid accumulation were determined as 15 and 0.5 g/L, respectively. On the other hand, all the concentrations of additional phosphorus source were found to significantly reduce the lipid accumulation. Optimal incubation time was determined as 132 h. Under the optimized culture conditions, the lipid concentration and lipid content of the yeast were determined as 7.82 g/L and 62 %, respectively. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis exhibited that this yeast strain could produce high proportions of C16:0 and C18 fatty acids, which are ideal for biodiesel production. This is the first report on the use of waste loquat kernels as substrate for microbial lipid production.