Unfortunately, the starting materials traditionally used for
biodiesel synthesis, namely, vegetable oils, animal fats, and (more
recently) waste cooking oils, cannot realistically satisfy the demand
for biodiesel at the current rate of consumption (1,2). In addition,
the cost of the biodiesel, which is mainly due to (70-85%) the
vegetable oils used as feedstocks, still exceeds that of the mineral
diesel. Alternative sources of triacylglycerols (TAGs) are also
necessary to reduce the social cost of biodiesel production, as the
increase of the latter is leading to significant increases in the price of
vegetable oils, a basic food in many underdeveloped countries, as
well as to the deforestation of large areas.