Production of hydroxy fatty acids by cell suspension cultures of the marine brown alga Laminaria saccharina

Abstract Photolithotrophic cell suspension cultures established from the microscopic gametophytic life phase of Laminaria saccharina produced three hydroxy fatty acids deriving from an ω-6 lipoxygenase (LOX) oxidation: 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE), 13-hydroxy-6,9,11,15-octadecatetraenoic acid (13-HODTA), and 13-hydroxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). The yields of 15-HETE, 13-HODTA, and 13-HODE ranged from 100 to 1000 μg product g −1 dry biomass. In the attempt to stimulate ω-6 LOX metabolism in vitro , three C 18 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic, α-linolenic, and γ-linolenic acid were added separately to the culture medium after 20 days of cultivation and then allowed to incubate with the culture for 10 days. Linoleic and γ-linolenic acid increased the yield of all three hydroxy fatty acids from 2 to 4 times over controls, with 15-HETE showing the most significant increase. In contrast, α-linolenic acid was toxic to the culture at 200 mg 1 −1 .