Growth of high oil yielding green alga Chlorella ellipsoidea in diverse autotrophic media, effect on its constituents

Growth of Chlorella ellipsoidea was analyzed using various autotrophic media viz. Bold's basal medium (BBM), wright's cryptophyte medium (WC), closterium medium (C), and blue green medium (BG11) medium. BG11 was showed to be the most excellent medium for growth and biomass production (3.2 g L− 1). WC was the best medium for lipid production. Maximum lipid production 1184 mg L− 1(a mass fraction of 37% on dry weight basis) was achieved when the cells in the late-exponential growth phase in BG11 medium were collected by centrifugation and reinoculated into WC media. The findings of gravimetric method were comparable with nile red fluorescence method of lipid determination. Total fatty acid (TFA) composition varies with culture media composition. Highest TFA yield of 2.2 g L− 1 and a TFA content of a mass fraction of 24.1% (DW) with a mass fraction of 95% TFA C18 (a mass fraction of ~ 71.5%) and C16 (a mass fraction of ~ 23.5%) was obtained with BG11 medium after reinoculation into WC media. C. ellipsoidea was discovered as rich source of protein and carbohydrate also.