INFLUENCE OF CARBON SOURCE ON GROWTH, BIOCHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND PIGMENTATION OF ANKISTRODESMUS-CONVOLUTUS

The unicellular chlorophyte Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda was grown in the light using inorganic medium (Bold's Basal Medium, BBM) and BBM enriched with 0.1% w/v of glucose, sodium acetate, sodium citrate or sodium bicarbonate. Glucose supported the highest specific growth rate (mu = 0.93 d-1) and gave the highest biomass (453 mg dry weight L-1) at the time of harvest. Of four glucose concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2 5, 0.5% w/v), best growth was attained at 0.1% w/v. At 0.5% w/v glucos e, the cells had high carbohydrates but low lipids and proteins. The r elative amounts of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 and 18:2 increased at the expense of 18:3(n-3) in the carbon-supplemented cultures and at glucose concen trations higher than 0.1% w/v. Cultures grown on glucose had less chlo rophyll and carotenoid contents than cultures grown on other carbon so urces. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents decreased with increasing g lucose concentrations in the medium.