Analyzing Phaeodactylum tricornutum lipid profile for biodiesel production

Microalgae are eukaryotic or prokaryotic organisms, with high photosynthetic efficiency for biomass production. The constituent elements of microalgae can be extracted and used as raw material for the production of various products, such as biodiesel, which the main components are fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). This study aimed to analyze the lipids composition of Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultured at outdoor photobiorreactor. The P. tricornutum samples showed 24.39% of C16-C18 fatty acids, 26.52% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 21.91% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and 32.02% polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). These findings suggest that P. tricornutum lipids meet to international biodiesel standards and could be an alternative raw material for biodiesel production.