Findings from King Saud University Broaden Understanding of Anti-Infectives (The Use of Macroalgal Hydrolysate As a Carbon Source In the Lipid Production of the Marine Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate crypthecodinium Al-05).

A recent study conducted at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has found that the marine heterotrophic dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium AL-05 can be successfully grown using macroalgal hydrolysate as a low-cost carbon source. This strain of Crypthecodinium is known for its ability to accumulate lipids, including docosahexaenoic acid, which has pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. The research showed that glucose at a concentration of 40 g/l produced the best results, followed by macroalgae alone or with glucose or molasses. The study also found that Crypthecodinium AL-05 grown on macroalgae produced only saturated fatty acids, with caprylic acid representing 43.45% of the total fatty acids. This research has implications for the commercial production of caprylic acid using macroalgae as a carbon source. [Extracted from the article]