Euglena gracilis: a novel lipid energy reserve and arachidonic acid enrichment during fasting.

In Euglena gracilis grown in the dark, was esters, consisting of a combination of medium-chain fatty acids and alcohols that contain both odd and even numbers of carbon atoms, appear to be a reservoir for metabolic energy. When the organisms are fasted, their pellicular membrane systems become quite rich in long-chain polyenoic acids, mostly of the arachidonic acid family.