Detection of oleic acid biodegradation by fungi

To investigate oleic acid biodegradation, 47 fungal strains were tested with modified Czapek Dox broth media containing oleic acid, and their biodegradative activities were assayed by measuring the release of [¹⁴C]CO₂ from the ¹⁴C-labeled oleic acid. After 72 h of cultivation, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Alternaria species metabolized approximately 25% to 35% of the supplied oleic acid. The relationship between the fungal degradation of oleic acid and the fungal growth was also examined using 7 strains of Aspergillus niger. A niger YMC 0100 and YMC 0322 degraded about 26% of the oleic acid after 72 h, while their germination ratios were more than 30%.