Disruption of <i>Lipomyces starkeyi</i> cells grown in hydrolyzed cheese-whey by high pressure homogenization for enhancing lipid extraction

Lipids of microbial sources can be used for various purposes, such as enrichment of edible oils. In this study, L. starkeyi was grown in enzymatically hydrolyzed cheese whey medium and disrupted by the high-pressure homogenization (HPH) method. A maximal lipid yield of 42.1 +/- 0.52% was obtained at 150 MPa and 7 passes. According to the analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), L. starkeyi lipid was found to be rich in palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids. Also, L. starkeyi lipid proved to be a valuable source of omega-3 (0.26-0.89%) and omega-7 (3.65-3.92%) fatty acids. Thus, HPH method is shown to be a promising method for lipid extraction from Lipomyces starkeyi biomass grown in hydrolyzed cheese whey medium.