PROBIOTIC Rhodotorula mucilaginosa ISOLATED FROM FERMENTED FOOD: INVESTIGATION OF PUFA PRODUCTION AND STRATEGY FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are a vital component for human health. PUFA cannot be synthesized by human system and hence dependance on other sources has become inevitable.

Though porcine liver and fish oil were the dependable sources for ages past, yet cheaper microbial source was sought after and have gained importance as well. Such microbial oils normally used as biofuels can also be used for several therapeutic purposes. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the quality and quantity of lipids produced by a probiotic yeast, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The lipid production potential of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa has indeed attracted a lot of attention. Isolation and characterization of the probiotic yeast with enhanced lipid production and determining the lipid components have become the aim of the work.