Phylogenetic analysis of Omega-3 producing microalgae isolated from mangrove area in Banda Aceh Indonesia based on 18S rDNA gene

The exploration and development of organisms producing Omega-3 have escalated in order to fulfil the high demand for Omega-3 in every sector, especially in human health. Microalgae are one of the highlighted microorganisms due to their ability to produce edible oil or microbial oil containing Omega-3, such as Thraustochytrium, Ulkenia and Schizochytrium . Besides Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), the microbial oil from these microalgae also contains antioxidants and has been developed as an alternative source of Omega-3. The objective of this study was to identify the Omega-3 producing microalgae through genetic analysis. In this research we conducted a phylogenetic analysis based of 18S rDNA gene of a microalga isolated from mangrove leaves sourced from a mangrove area in Banda Aceh. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted using Neighbor Joining method with bootstrap analysis. The result revealed that the isolate was identified as a member of thraustochytrids family, which was consistent to the morphological analysis of the isolate from our previous research.