Effective bioprocess engineering to enhance omega‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acid production from Arthrospira platensis.

Contrary to the robustness of microbial ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) production, the microbial synthesis of ω‐6 PUFAs remains challenging. The rising demand for ω‐6 PUFAs, especially for pregnancy and infant formulas, calls for scalable and sustainable production methods. Arthrospira platensis, a rarely explored microalgae, shows promise as a platform for producing gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and linolenic acid (LA), key components of ω‐6 PUFAs. This study employs a two‐phase cultivation approach to enhance ω‐6 PUFA production in A. platensis. The initial growth phase was optimized to maximize biomass, followed by a stress‐induced phase to boost lipid and ω‐6 PUFA accumulation. Notably, ω‐6 producing strains like A. platensis are protein‐rich and not a high oleaginous species, achieving over 15% total lipid content particularly is significant. Under optimized conditions, a maximum biomass of 4.9 g/L with a productivity rate of (0.233 g/L/day) was obtained at 8 K Lux light irradiance, with 2X nitrogen concentration and 4 mg/L phytohormones. The subsequent stress phase, involving 20 K Lux light, 10 mg/L FeSO4, and 1% glycerol, resulted in a lipid content of 22.8%. This approach led to a 2.4‐fold and 1.5‐fold increase in microalgal biomass and lipid content respectively. Moreover, C18:2 and C18:3 PUFAs reaching approx. 17.1 ± 0.06% and 24.1 ± 0.07%, respectively. This research promotes microalgae cultivation to meet rising ω‐6 PUFA demand, aligning with sustainable development goal 3: Good health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]