UTILIZATION OF CHEESE WHEY FOR LIPID AND STEROL PRODUCTION BY SOME ISOLATES OF XEROPHILOUS FUNGI

One hundred and two isolates of 30 species and 4 varieties belonging t o 4 genera of xerophilous fungi were cultivated on cheese whey. In fou rteen species and one variety, all isolates (45) failed to grow on the cheese whey. The other species and varieties (16 and 3) of fungi were able to grow and to accumulate variable amounts of lipid and sterol o n whey. Aspergillus aureolatus, Eurotium repens, E. rubrum and Emerice lla nidulans Mr. lata produced high levels of lipids, total sterols an d ergosterol while E, tonophilum proved to be superior in the producti on of lipid (38 +/- 8 % of dry mycelial mass), total sterol (20 +/- 4 %) and ergosterol (13 +/- 3 %).