Evaluation of Mixotrophic Cultivation of Euglena gracilis for Lipid Synthesis and FAME Characterization towards Biodiesel Application

The lipid enhancement of Euglena gracilis has been investigated in mixotrophic condition by altering the concentration of technical glycerol. The lipid yield (45.15%) was found more than three times higher in contrast to photoautotrophic cultivation (11.28%). The role of essential abiotic factors, light intensity (30, 60.5, 100, 150 μmol m -2 s -1 ) and photoperiod (24:0, 16:8, 8:16, 0:24 Light: dark) were also investigated. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were synthesized and analysed through GC-MS. It possesses appropriate quantities of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), in accordance with biodiesel standards. Henceforth, our present study focuses the improved lipid synthesis from E. gracilis for biodiesel application.