Shailesh Kumar Patidar

Salinity induced oxidative stress enhanced biofuel production potential of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077.

Microalgal biomass is considered as potential feedstock for biofuel production. Enhancement of biomass, lipid and carbohydrate contents in microalgae is important for the commercialization of microalgal biofuels. In the present study, salinity stress induced physiological and biochemical changes in microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077 were studied. During single stage cultivation, 33.13% lipid and 35.91% carbohydrate content was found in 400 mM NaCl grown culture. During two stage cultivation, salinity stress of 400 mM for 3 days resulted in 24.77% lipid (containing 74.87% neutral lipid) along with higher biomass compared to single stage, making it an efficient strategy to enhance biofuel production potential of Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077. Apart from biochemical content, stress biomarkers like hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, ascorbate peroxidase, proline and mineral contents were also studied to understand the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated lipid accumulation in microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077.

Fatty acids as biomarkers of microalgae

Microalgae are primary producers of the food chain and hold prominence towards pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Fatty acids (FAs) are one of the primary metabolites of microalgae, which enrich their utility both in the form of food and fuels. Additionally, the vast structural diversity coupled with taxonomic specificity makes these FAs as potential biomarkers. The determination of lipid and fatty acid profiling of 12 different strains of microalgae has been accomplished in this study and further discussed in respect to their chemotaxonomic perspective in microalgae. Palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1n9c) were found to be dominant among the members of Cyanophyceae whereas members of Chlorophyceae were rich in palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1n9c) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6). The application of principal component analysis (PCA) and algorithmic hierarchical clustering (AHC) resulted in the segregation of the studied microalgal strains into 8 different orders belonging to 2 distinct phyla according to their phylogenetic classification. Nutritionally important FAs like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n3) were detected only in Chlorella sp. belonging to Chlorophyceaen family. Differential segregation of microalgae with respect to their fatty acid profile indicated the potential utility of FAs as biomarkers.

Potential of Monoraphidium minutum for carbon sequestration and lipid production in response to varying growth mode.

Mixotrophic growth at flask level and, autotrophic-mixotrophic and autotrophic growth in photobioreactor by utilizing CO2/air/flue gas were checked for the isolated strain of Monoraphidium minutum from polluted habitat. Our study confirmed that it is a saturated fatty acid rich (30.92-68.94%) microalga with lower degree of unsaturation oil quality (42.06-103.99) making it potential biodiesel producing candidate. It showed encouraging biomass productivity (80.3-303.8mgl(-1)day(-1)) with higher total lipid (22.80-46.54%) under optimum glucose, fructose, microalgal biodiesel waste residue and sodium acetate fed mixotrophic conditions. The pH control by intermittent CO2, continuous illumination with 30% flue gas, and utilization of biodiesel glycerin were effective schemes to ameliorate either biomass productivity or % lipids or both of these parameters at photobioreactor scale (7.5L working volume). The modulation of environmental variables (pH control, CO2 and organic substrates concentration) could augment % saturated fatty acids, such as C16:0.

Effect of light quality on the C-phycoerythrin production in marine cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena sp. isolated from Gujarat coast, India

The isolated cyanobacterium containing biopigments like chlorophyll-a, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and carotenoid was cultured under different quality of light modes to ascertain biomass and pigment productivity. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, the isolate was identified as Pseudanabaena sp. Maximum biomass concentration obtained in white-, blue-, and green-light was 0.82, 0.94, and 0.89 g/L, respectively. It was observed that maximum phycoerythrin production was in green light (39.2 mg/L), ensued by blue light (32.2 mg/L), while phycocyanin production was maximum in red light (10.9 mg/L). In yellow light, pigment production as well as the growth rate gradually declined after 12 days. Carotenoid production decreased in blue-, white-, and red-light after 15 days, while in green light it had increased gradually. The present communication suggests that Pseudanabaena sp. can be used for commercial production of phycoerythrin when grown under green light.

Integrated process of two stage cultivation of Nannochloropsis sp. for nutraceutically valuable eicosapentaenoic acid along with biodiesel.

The marine eustigmatophyte Nannochloropsis is one of the potential producers of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a valued nutraceutical. Nannochloropsis sp. was cultivated under photoautotrophic condition utilizing CO2 in a two phase cultivation process in order to enhance the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) productivity. It was cultivated in a photobioreactor up to late log phase for cell growth (phase I). Then, the culture was harvested and confronted to relatively low temperature (10 °C) and low light (30 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1)) in both photobioreactor and Erlenmeyer flask (phase II), thus augmenting EPA% by 3.4 fold. Lower temperature with low light favored the synthesis of EPA although, biomass productivity, lipid content and lipid productivity were slightly decreased relative to phase I. The total lipids extracted from Nannochloropsis sp. fractionated into neutral lipids (NLs), glycolipids (GLs) and phospholipids (PLs) and a major proportion of EPA was found in phospholipids. Results suggested that low temperature and low light may ameliorate partitioning towards EPA in phospholipids.

Cultivation of Nannochloropsis oceanica biomass rich in eicosapentaenoic acid utilizing wastewater as nutrient resource

The eicosapentaenoic acid rich marine eustigmatophyte Nannochloropsis oceanica was grown in wastewaters sampled from four different industries (i.e. pesticides industry, pharmaceutical industry, activated sludge treatment plant of municipality sewage and petroleum (oil) industry). Under the wastewater based growth conditions used in this study, the biomass productivity ranged from 21.78±0.87 to 27.78±0.22mgL(-1)d(-1) in relation to freeze dried biomass, while the lipid productivity varied between 5.59±0.02 and 6.81±0.04mgL(-1)d(-1). Although comparatively higher biomass, lipid and EPA productivity was observed in Conway medium, the %EPA content was similarly observed in pesticides industry and municipal effluents. The results highlight the possibility of selectively using wastewater as a growth medium, demonstrating the elevated eicosapentaenoic acid content and biodiesel properties, that complies with the European standards for biodiesel.

Carbon Sequestration by Microalgae: A Green Approach for Climate Change Mitigation

The trace gas emissions from terrestrial and aquatic sources have increased since the industrial revolution due to anthropogenic activities with disturbed ecosystems, which raises alarming concerns in the current world. The feasible innovative methods and technologies are in demand to overcome global warming. The three major concerns for the planet are related to energy, the environment, and food, and they can be solved through the use of microalgae if exploited in a well-balanced and cost-effective manner with synergistic approaches. Microalgal technologies are gradually realizing the potential of CO 2 capture through mass cultivation using wastewater/flue gases, etc. Its biomass could be used as an energy feedstock (biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, biogas, etc.) integrated with high-value products such as PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acids), DHA (docosahexaenoic acids), pigments (phycobiliproteins), carotenoids, etc. In addition, there is a vast scope for making a complete biorefinery system initiating from cultivation of microalgae by utilizing wastewater and flue gases at nonfertile unutilized lands. Microalgal carbon fixation and carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) in global climate change scenarios are not yet fully understood for decision making on their adaptation, future community changes, feedback to global emissions and associated implications in ecosystems services. In addition, many facets of CCMs and carbon sequestration process needs to be investigated for the integrated carbon capture and biorefinery projects. In summary, they are one of the potential climate change mitigating biological agents available with a green approach for sustainable development.