Growth and biochemical composition with emphasis on the fatty acids of Tetraselmis sp.

Summary The influence of temperature (15–32°C) and the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P) in the culture medium (0.5–80) on the growth kinetics and protein, chlorophyll, lipid and fatty acid content of the marine microalga Tetraselmis sp. have been studied. Below an N/P of 20, growth was determined by N limitation and above 20 by P limitation. Protein increased with a rise in N content at any test temperature. The chlorophyll content increased with temperature, with maximum values at 25°C. The lipid content decreased with increasing N/P ratio above 20°C. The polyunsaturated fatty acid content tends to be inversely proportional to the growth rate within the N/P range 20–80. The quotient of the n ₃ and n ₆ polyunsaturated-fatty-acid fractions, an indicator of the nutritive value of microalgae, was found to be within the range 2–3. These values were obtained either between 25 and 28°C independent of the N/P ratio used at 20°C for N/P ratios higher than 40.0. Offsprint requests to: Emilio Molina