Production of cis-11-eicosenoic acid by Mortierella fungi

Aim: To find cis-11-eicosenoic acid (20:1ω9, EA)-producing micro-organisms.

Methods and results: We found EA-producing fungi by screening about 300 Fungal strains and identified a major fatty acid accumulated in the Mortierella fungi as EA by means of GC-MS analysis. In particular, Mortierella chlamydospora CBS 529.75 produced a high amount of EA (36.3 mg g(-1) of dried cells) on cultivation at 28°C for 4 days and then at 12°C for 3 days. In the result of lipid analysis, most of the EA was a component of triacylglycerols, not Phospholipids.

Conclusion: We found that M. chlamydospora CBS 529.75 was the best producer for the microbial production of EA.

Significance and impact of the study: EA is beneficial as a raw material for medical supplies and a moisturizing component of cosmetic creams. This is the first report of microbial production of EA.