Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of enhancing the levels of Poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) by 0.5 to 5 times in protests thraustochytrid protests by storing the cells under cold conditions, said method comprising steps of inoculating the protests into a culture medium, growing the culture for 2 to 5 days at room temperature, harvesting the cells by centrifugation to obtain biomass, storing the biomass at about 10° C. for time duration ranging between 12 to 48 hours, and obtaining increased PUFA from the stored biomass.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for enhancing levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in thraustochytrid fungi, using media supplemented with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) to increase viscosity and which comprises: (a) providing a thraustochytrid fungus strain NIO-TH 21, corresponding to the species Ulkenia radiata Gaertner, being the culture with Accession No. AB22115 of the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Japan; (b) inoculating the above said strain in a culture medium; (c) growing the culture for 2 days at a temperature ranging from 25 to 30° C.; (d) obtaining the cultures for use as innoculum using the above said medium to inoculate a medium with different concentrations of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP); (e) growing the culture separately for 2 to 5 days at a temperature ranging from 25 to 30° C.; and (f) harvesting the cells from the above culture by centrifugation and extracting the enhanced amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA).