Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

The present study reports the production of fatty acids by microalgae under the influence of light and dark condition. Microalgae are renewable resource containing rich lipids in their body and has the potential to refill the partial energy demands in an eco-friendly way. We isolated an indigenous green alga (Chlorella vulgaris) as a potent source for biodiesel. To get better yield of biofuel, the growth of the microalgal isolate was optimized with the addition of nutrients and salts under light and dark conditions. The lipid fractions were extracted from the biomass through solvent extractions and the fractions were analyzed for biodiesel under GC-MS. The percentage of lipids synthesized from C. vulgaris under light and dark conditions were analyzed and compared. The algae from dark sample shows rich in saturated fatty acid (capric acid, lauric acid & myristic acid) and considerable amount of PUFA (hexadecatrienoic acid, stearidonic acid, eicosapenaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid) when compare to algae grown under light. So the algae grown in dark condition is an excellent source for high yield of saturated fatty acids.
Keywords: Biofuel, biodiesel, Chlorella vulgaris, gasoline, renewable energy.