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Cited by 273Algal biology and biofuel productionLipid metabolism and biosynthesisMicrobial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction

Microalgal lipids: A review of lipids potential and quantification for 95 phytoplankton species

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Morales, Marjorie, Aflalo, Claude, Bernard, Olivier·2021·Biomass and Bioenergy
DOI 10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106108
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Abstract

Phytoplankton have great potential for biodiesel production and offer promises and opportunities in the long term. Phytoplankton species reach higher growth rates, and thus productivity, than conventional forestry or agricultural crops and other aquatic plants. The oil yield in phytoplankton is an order of magnitude larger than terrestrial oleaginous crops. To meet the potential of phytoplankton-based biodiesel there is a need to radically increase lipid yields, which are generally produced under adverse conditions. Nutrients stress and alterations of cultivation conditions are commonly used as lipid enhancement strategies. It is difficult to get a clear picture of the most efficicent factors affecting lipid accumulation and productivity from the abundant literature on this topic, dispatched into a large variety of species and stresses. This article seeks to summarize the widely reported information on TAGs accumulation in phytoplankton and to decipher the regulation mechanisms triggered along the diversity of enhancement strategies. Most of the factors affecting lipid content and composition were analyzed, such as nutrient starvation, temperature, irradiance, salinity, oxidative stress, metals, CO2 flux, pH and metabolic engineering. In this review, we compiled 213 experiments with lipid analysis, dealing with 95 marine and freshwater phytoplankton (microalgae and cyanobacteria) species. Quantitative indicators (lipid content and productivity), stress level and exposure time, are presented. This review highlights the complexity of comparison between phyla due to differences in culture conditions, analytical methods and/or growth phase. It provides valuable tools for triggering phytoplanktonic lipid biosynthesis and opens the door for enhanced quality and quantity of phytoplankton-based biodiesel.

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  • Sajjadi et al. and Morales et al. attempted to divide experimental data into groups taking into account the N content: "N-replete" and "N-starvation", and "N-deficiency".

    “To systematise experimental data on the relationship between nitrogen starvation and the ability of algae to synthesise lipids, Sajjadi et al. [11], Morales et al. [136] attempted to divide them into groups taking into account the N content: “N-replete” and “N-starvation”, and “N-deficiency”.”

    From Nitrogen and phosphorus stress as a tool to induce lipid production in microalgae (2023) · cites this paper as Morales et al. [136]

    Section 4.1 compares N-replete and N-deprivation conditions and distinguishes nitrogen limitation from nitrogen starvation within deprivation. It does not present “N-replete,” “N-starvation,” and “N-deficiency” as three separate groups of experimental data; its broader category is N-deprivation, not a third group called N-deficiency. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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6 of the 278 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. A. Carlsson, J. van Beilen, R. Moller, D. Clayton, in: D. Bowles (Ed.), Micro and Macro Algae Utility for Industrial Applications, University of York, Newbury, UK, 2007.
  2. A. Redfield, On the Proportions of Organic Derivatives in Sea Water and Their Relation to the Composition of Plankton, University Press of Liverpool, Liverpool, 1934, pp. 176-192.
  3. A. Gammanpila, C. Rupasinghe, S. Subasinghe, Light intensity and photo period effect on growth and lipid accumulation of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis sp. for biodiesel production, in: 12th ISERD International Conference, Tokyo, 2015, pp. 51-55.
  4. P. Southgate, Hatchery and larval foods, in: J. Lucas, P. Southgate, C. Tucker (Eds.), Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants, Wiley-Blackwell2019, p. 664.
  5. M.A. Borowitzka, The mass culture of Dunaliella salina, in: FAO (Ed.), Regional Seafarming Development and Demostration Project RAS/90/002. Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia, UNDP, Cebu City, Philippines, 1990.

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Authors
Morales, M., Aflalo, C., & Bernard, O.
Affiliations
  • Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (FR)
  • Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
Corresponding author
Morales, Marjorie
ORCID
Venue
Biomass and Bioenergy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-07
Volume
150
Pages
106108
ISSN
0961-9534 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106108
OpenAlex
W3163317042
Cited by
273
References
278
Citations by year
2026: 50 · 2025: 74 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 4
FWCI
6.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Biomass and Bioenergy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
ANR
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
Keywords
phytoplankton, microalgal lipids, biodiesel, triglycerides, lipid accumulation, nutrient deprivation, temperature effects, irradiance, salinity, oxidative stress, metal stress, CO2 flux, pH, metabolic engineering, marine phytoplankton, freshwater phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, lipid productivity

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