Exploring the Use of Brewery Spent Liquids for Lipid Production in Basidiomycetous Yeasts

Purpose: This study investigates lipid production in nine basidiomycetous yeast strains from seven species, isolated from natural cold environments, using brewery spent liquids (BSLs) as well as glucose and maltose as carbon sources. Methods: Yeast strains were evaluated for biomass, lipid production, and sugar consumption across the three carbon sources. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sugar removal from brewery wastewaters were also assessed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the effect of each carbon source on the lipid profiles. Results: Holtermanniella wattica CRUB 2130, CRUB 2131, Solicoccozyma aeria CRUB 2153, and Sporobolomyces ruberrimus CRUB 1640 exhibited high lipid production on BSL, reaching yields up to 7.6 g L⁻¹. In contrast, Rhodotorula taiwanensis CRUB 1425 showed moderate to low lipid production, poor COD removal, and low biomass production. Tausonia pullulans, Vanrija albida CRUB 2161, and Solicoccozyma sp. CRUB 2155 also had moderate to low lipid production but were effective in N and P removal. Although COD removal did not meet discharge guidelines, some yeasts met local requirements for N and P removal. The main fatty acids (FAs) in all strains were palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids, with some also producing α-linolenic acid, influenced more by strain than carbon source. Conclusions: S. aeria CRUB 2153, S. ruberrimus CRUB 1640, and H. wattica strains demonstrated superior oleagenicity on BSL and the ability to consume higher sugars, making them promising candidates for lipid production using BSL, maltose, or starch-rich wastes.