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Innovative Strategy in the Production of Polysaccharides from Spirulina and Chlorella Grown in Seawater and Brackish Groundwater

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Abstract

There are no reports of production and characterization of polysaccharides in the genera Chlorella and Spirulina cultivated in seawater (SW) and brackish groundwater (BGW). Furthermore, there are few studies on the cultivation of these microalgae in seawater for this purpose. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the production and composition of polysaccharides in Spirulina sp. LEB 18 and Chlorella fusca LEB 111 grown in seawater and brackish groundwater, with and without nutrient supplementation. In this study, 100% SW and 100% BGW were used as nutrient sources and supplemented with different concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, and EDTA sources that make up the Zarrouk/BG-11 culture media. Cultivating Chlorella fusca LEB 111 in SW, without the addition of nutrients, resulted in an approximately 23% increase in starch production (g/g). The cultivation of Spirulina sp. LEB 18 in SW and BGW, without the addition of nutrients, showed an increase in glycogen concentrations (50.5 and 40.75 g/100 gbiomass, respectively) and highest levels of exopolysaccharides (0.34 and 0.50 g/100 gbiomass, respectively) compared to the control. Moreover, exopolysaccharides compositional analysis has shown an increase in glucose content with salinity, and a decrease in xylose and glucuronic acid. This cultivation strategy demonstrates the viability of utilizing SW and BGW as alternatives to freshwater culture medium for microalgae that have high nutritional requirements, with the potential to produce exopolysaccharides.

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Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. Also, this research was funded by the Program CAPES-COFECUB (Sv 945/19) and Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communication (MCTIC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR CNRS 6602, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    P. Q. M. Bezerra, S. G. Kuntzler & C. Laroche

  2. Laboratory of Microbiology and Biochemistry, College of Chemistry and Food Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    M. G. Morais

  3. Department of Food Science and Technology, Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88034-000, Brazil

    I. L. Nunes

  4. Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Food Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    J. A. V. Costa

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  1. P. Q. M. Bezerra
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Contributions

P.Q.M. Bezerra: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft. S. G. Kuntzler: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft. M.G. Morais: Writing – review & editing. I.L. Nunes: Writing – review & editing, Supervision. J.A.V. Costa: Conceptualization, Resources, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition. C. Laroche: Conceptualization, Resources, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to C. Laroche.

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Bezerra, P.Q.M., Kuntzler, S.G., Morais, M.G. et al. Innovative Strategy in the Production of Polysaccharides from Spirulina and Chlorella Grown in Seawater and Brackish Groundwater. Bioenerg. Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-024-10737-4

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