The impact of stress depends on nitrogen limitation on lipid content of phaeodactylum tricornutum at photobioreactor

The impact of nitrogen limitation applied with the intent to increase the amount of lipid in outdoor tubular photobioreactor systems, on cell density, dry matter, chlorophyll a, total carotene, protein and lipid content of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bohlin) that belongs to the Bacillariophyceae class were investigated. P.tricornutum was cultivated in appropriate medium as the control group, whereas P.tricornutum was cultivated in a medium where the N was reduced by 50% at photobioreactors. The study also determined that while nitrogen limitation decreases the amount of dry matter, chlorophyll a and the total carotene and protein amount, it increases the lipid ratio. The group in which N limitation, 35.04% lipid, 0.980±0.02 gL-1 content of dry matter and 8.87% protein was determined whereas 16.93% lipid, 1.036±0.025 gL-1 content of dry matter and 31.05% protein was determined in the control group.