Microbial oil production by Rhodotorula glutinis CICC 31643 using sugar cane molasses

Lipid accumulation in Rhodotorula glutinis CICC 31643 using sugar cane molasses as carbon source was studied. In the bath cultivation, the optimal sugar concentration and initial medium pH was 20% (w/w) and 6.0, respectively. The low C/N ratio (25 and 20) was more suitable for cell growth, while high C/N ratio (100 and 50) was more suitable for oil production. The C/N ratio 100 was the most beneficial for oil production of R. glutinis CICC 31643 with a notable lipid accumulation of 44.5% (w/w). 7.93 g/l lipid production was obtained during the fed-bath cultivation, whereas 6.31 g/l lipid production was obtained during the bath cultivation. Fatty acids produced by R. glutinis CICC 31643 were composed of oleic (C18:1), palmitic (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0) and the palmitic and oleic acid dominated the total of the fatty acids. It is suggested that the lipid production could be suitable for the production of good quality biodiesel.