| Summary: | Hydrolysates of lignocellulosic materials from Arundo donax (Giant reed, GR) and Sorghum vulgaris (SV) were used as a source of fermentable sugars, employed for culturing the oleaginous yeasts Lipomyces starkey. A significant fraction of the L. starkey biomass was made of triglycerides, potentially exploitable for the synthesis of biodiesel. The conditions of the hydrolysis of the AD and SV, as well the conditions of the fermentation of the hydrolysates, were optimized in order to maximize both the microbial biomass yield and the lipid fraction of the biomass. In order to reduce the effect of the microbial growth inhibitors produced in the course of the lignocellulose hydrolysis, L. starkeyi were adapted to fermentation media containing progressively higher concentrations of hydrolysates. The fatty acids distribution of the microbial lipids obtained was compatible with the production of a biodiesel offering excellent performances as automotive fuel.
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