Nitrogen and phosphorus stress as a tool to induce lipid production in microalgae

Microalgae, capable of accumulating large amounts of lipids, are of great value for biodiesel production. The high cost of such production stimulates the search for cultivation conditions that ensure their highest productivity. Reducing the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in the culture medium is widely used to change the content and productivity of lipids in microalgae. Achieving the right balance between maximum growth and maximum lipid content and productivity is the primary goal of many experimental works to ensure cost-effective biodiesel production from microalgae. The content of nitrogen and phosphorus in nutrient media for algal cultivation after converted to nitrogen (-N) and phosphorus (-P) lies in an extensive range: from 0.007 g L(− 1) to 0.417 g L(− 1) and from 0.0003 g L(− 1) to 0.227 g L(− 1) and N:P ratio from 0.12:1 to 823.33:1. When studying nutritional stress in microalgae, no single approach is used to determine the experimental concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. This precludes the possibility of correct interpretation of the data and may lead to erroneous conclusions. This work results from the systematisation of information on using nitrogen and phosphorus restriction to increase the lipid productivity of microalgae of different taxonomic and ecological groups to identify future research directions. The results of 301 experiments were included in the analysis using the principal components method. The investigation considered various divisions and classes: Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta, Dinophyta, Haptophyta, Cryptophyta, Heterokontophyta/Ochrophyta (Bacillariophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae, Xanthophyceae), Chlorophyta, and also the ratio N:P, the time of the experiment, the light intensity during cultivation. Based on the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus existing in various nutrient media, a general scheme for designating the supply of nutrient media for nitrogen (as NO(3)(−) or NH(4)+, N g L(− 1)) and phosphorus (as РO(4)(−), P g L(− 1)) has been proposed: replete -N (˃0.4 g L(− 1)), moderate -N (0.4–0.2), moderate N-limitation (0.19–0.1), strong N-limitation (˂0.1), without nitrogen (0), replete -Р (˃0.2), moderate -P (0.2–0.02), moderate P-limitation (0.019–0.01), strong P-limitation (˂0.01), without phosphorus (0). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-023-02244-6.