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

The diatoms have numerous industrial and pharmaceutical applications, especially for carotenoids and lipid production. Here, the influence of different nitrogen (N) and iron concentrations on growth, fucoxanthin, lipid accumulation and fatty acids profile of two marine diatoms Nitzschia sp. and Nanofrustulum shiloi were investigated. Both diatoms displayed relatively high growth rate and biomass concentration under N-rich conditions. Iron-rich strategy for lipid production dramatically increased the lipid content (37.7 ± 0.77% in Nitzschia sp. and 37.44 ± 0.54% in N. shiloi). N-deficiency strategy had less impact on lipid accumulation in N. shiloi (28.06 ± 0.54%), while, it led to a significant increase of total lipid in Nitzschia sp. (37.7 ± 0.77%). N- and Iron-rich conditions led to a significant increase in fucoxanthin content of both diatoms as measured by HPLC-DAD and vice versa. The data suggested that marine diatoms Nitzschia sp. and N. shiloi could be potential candidates for fucoxanthin and lipids production.