Variation in growth, fucoxanthin, fatty acids profile and lipid content of marine diatoms Nitzschia sp. and Nanofrustulum shiloi in response to nitrogen and iron

Abstract The diatomshave numerous industrial and pharmaceutical applications, especially for carotenoids and lipidproduction. Here, the influence of different nitrogen (N) and iron concentrations on growth, fucoxanthin, lipidaccumulation and fatty acids profile of two marine diatoms Nitzschiasp. and Nanofrustulum shiloi were investigated. Both diatomsdisplayed relatively high growth rate and biomass concentration under N-rich conditions. Iron-rich strategy for lipidproduction dramatically increased the lipidcontent (37.7 ± 0.77% in Nitzschiasp. and 37.44 ± 0.54% in N. shiloi ). N-deficiency strategy had less impact on lipidaccumulation in N. shiloi (28.06 ± 0.54%), while, it led to a significant increase of total lipidin Nitzschiasp. (37.7 ± 0.77%). N- and Iron-rich conditions led to a significant increase in fucoxanthincontent of both diatomsas measured by HPLC-DAD and vice versa. The data suggested that marine diatoms Nitzschiasp. and N. shiloi could be potential candidates for fucoxanthinand lipidsproduction.