Use of Biodiesel-Derived Crude Glycerol for Producing Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) by the Fungus Pythium irregulare.
Athalye SK, Garcia RA, Wen Z.
J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19265450
DOI: 10.1021/jf803922w
Fungal treatment of a biodiesel byproduct can produce the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), offering a potentially economical source of EPA from microbes.\nGrowing the fungus Pythium irregulare in a crude glycerol and a yeast extract can lead to production of an EPA-rich biomass that could be used as an omega-3 fortified food, according to researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.\n\nThe findings are published online ahead of print in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.