Production of eicosapentaenoic acid by representatives of the genus Mortierella on brewers’ spent grain

Abstract

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) was evaluated as substrate for the production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by solid state fermentation with 29 fungal strains representing different Mortierella species. The effect of a 10% (w/w) linseed oil (LSO) supplement on EPA production was also determined. All the strains produced EPA on the substrate, while addition of the LSO improved the EPA yield of most strains. The strains producing the most EPA in the absence of additional LSO generally also produced the most EPA when LSO was added to the BSG. The strains which produced the highest levels of EPA on BSG supplemented with LSO were Mortierella antarctica Mo 67 and Mortierella epicladia Mo 101, which respectively produced 2.8 mg and 2.5 mg EPA per g of LSO supplemented BSG.