4. Conclusion
The work presented here showed the potential of using less
expensive crude glycerol from the biodiesel industry to produce
DHA by microalgal culture. The optimal crude glycerol content
for algal DHA production was around 100 g/L. Using
statistically based experimental designs, it was found that
temperature and ammonium acetate were factors significantly
influencing the algal DHA production from crude glycerol. The
optimal level of these two factors for DHA yield were
determined as 19.2 8C and 1.0 g/L ammonium acetate. Under
the optimal culture conditions, DHA content in the algae
biomass was more than 20%; with a yield of DHA 4.91 g/L.
Successful application of this process could have a significant
impact on the biodiesel industry as it helps to solve the problem
of waste glycerol disposal in the biodiesel industry, while
simultaneously produces a valuable nutraceutical.