A chemical approach to manipulate the algal growth, lipid content and high-value alpha-linolenic acid for biodiesel production

A comprehensive review on versatile microalga Tetraselmis: Potentials applications in wastewater remediation and bulk chemical production

Microalgae are considered sustainable resources for the production of biofuel, feed, and bioactive compounds. Among various microalgal genera, the Tetraselmis genus, containing predominantly marine microalgal species with wide tolerance to salinity and temperature, has a high potential for large-scale commercialization. Until now, Tetraselmis sp. are exploited at smaller levels for aquaculture hatcheries and bivalve production. However, its prolific growth rate leads to promising areal productivity and energy-dense biomass, so it is considered a viable source of third-generation biofuel. Also, microbial pathogens and contaminants are not generally associated with Tetraselmis sp. in outdoor conditions due to faster growth as well as dominance in the culture. Numerous studies revealed that the metabolite compositions of Tetraselmis could be altered favorably by changing the growth conditions, taking advantage of its acclimatization or adaptation ability in different conditions. Furthermore, the biorefinery approach produces multiple fractions that can be successfully upgraded into various value-added products along with biofuel. Overall, Tetraselmis sp. could be considered a potential strain for further algal biorefinery development under the circular bioeconomy framework. In this aspect, this review discusses the recent advancements in the cultivation and harvesting of Tetraselmis sp. for wider application in different sectors. Furthermore, this review highlights the key challenges associated with large-scale cultivation, biomass harvesting, and commercial applications for Tetraselmis sp.

Hydroponics with Microalgae and Cyanobacteria: Emerging Trends and Opportunities in Modern Agriculture

The global population is expected to reach 9.5 billion, which means that crop productivity needs to double to meet the growing population's food demand. Soil degradation and environmental factors, such as climate events, significantly threaten crop production and global food security. Furthermore, rapid urbanization has led to 55% of the world's population migrating to cities, and this proportion is expected to increase to 75% by 2050, which presents significant challenges in producing staple foods through conventional hinterland farming. Numerous studies have proposed various sustainable farming techniques to combat the shortage of farmable land and increase food security in urban areas. Soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics have gained worldwide popularity due to their resource efficiency and production of superior-quality fresh products. However, using chemical nutrients in a conventional hydroponic system can have significant environmental impacts, including eutrophication and resource depletion. Incorporating microalgae into hydroponic systems as biostimulants offers a sustainable and ecofriendly approach toward circular bioeconomy strategies. The present review summarizes the plant growth-promoting activity of microalgae as biostimulants and their mechanisms of action. We discuss their effects on plant growth parameters under different applications, emphasizing the significance of integrating microalgae into a closed-loop circular economy model to sustainably meet global food demands.

Molecular approaches to enhance astaxanthin biosynthesis; future outlook: engineering of transcription factors in Haematococcus pluvialis

Microalgae are the preferred species for producing astaxanthin because they pose a low toxicity risk than chemical synthesis. Astaxanthin has multiple health benefits and is being used in: medicines, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods. Haematococcus pluvialis is a model microalga for astaxanthin biosynthesis; however, its natural astaxanthin content is low. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods to improve the biosynthesis of astaxanthin to meet industrial demands, making its commercialization cost-effective. Several strategies related to cultivation conditions are employed to enhance the biosynthesis of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis. However, the mechanism of its regulation by transcription factors is unknown. For the first time, this study critically reviewed the studies on identifying transcription factors, progress in H. pluvialis genetic transformation, and use of phytohormones that increase the gene expression related to astaxanthin biosynthesis. In addition, we propose future approaches, including (i) Cloning and characterization of transcription factors, (ii) Transcriptional engineering through overexpression of positive regulators or downregulation/silencing of negative regulators, (iii) Gene editing for enrichment or deletion of transcription factors binding sites, (iv) Hormonal modulation of transcription factors. This review provides considerable knowledge about the molecular regulation of astaxanthin biosynthesis and the existing research gap. Besides, it provides the basis for transcription factors mediated metabolic engineering of astaxanthin biosynthesis in H. pluvialis.

A review on unit operations, challenges, opportunities, and strategies to improve algal based biodiesel and biorefinery

Globally, the demand for energy is increasing with an emphasis on green fuels for a sustainable future. As the urge for alternative fuels is accelerating, microalgae have emerged as a promising source that can not only produce high lipid but many other platform chemicals. Moreover, it is a better alternative in comparison to conventional feedstock due to yearlong easy and mass cultivation, carbon fixation, and value-added products extraction. To date, numerous studies have been done to elucidate these organisms for large-scale fuel production. However, enhancing the lipid synthesis rate and reducing the production cost still remain a major bottleneck for its economic viability. Therefore, this study compiles information on algae-based biodiesel production with an emphasis on its unit operations from strain selection to biofuel production. Additionally, strategies to enhance lipid accumulation by incorporating genetic, and metabolic engineering and the use of leftover biomass for harnessing bio-products have been discussed. Besides, implementing a biorefinery for extracting oil followed by utilizing leftover biomass to generate value-added products such as nanoparticles, biofertilizers, biochar, and biopharmaceuticals has also been discussed.

Iron and methyl jasmonate increase high-value PUFA production by elevating the expression of desaturase genes in marine microalga Isochrysis sp

AIM

This study investigated the effect of several metabolic enhancers on the expression of fatty acid biosynthetic genes and their influence on the production of high-value PUFA in the marine microalgae Isochrysis sp., CASA CC 101.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The effect of the presence of iron (Fe), nicotinic acid (NIC), methyl jasmonate (MJ) and thidiazuron (TDZ) on the expression of the fatty acid desaturase genes Δ6Des, Δ5Des and Δ4Des was studied in cultures of the marine microalga Isochrysis sp., CASA CC 101. The production of high-value PUFA like γ-linolenic acid (GLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was correlated with these gene expressions. The results showed that MJ, Fe and TDZ significantly increased the lipid content than the control. MJ specifically up-regulated ∆6Des gene expression and thereby increased GLA production. Whereas Fe specifically increased ∆5Des gene expression and thereby increased EPA production. However, Fe and TDZ-treated cells effectively upregulated the expression of ∆4Des and increased the production of DHA when compared with control cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that addition of Fe and MJ in the culture medium triggers the expression of PUFA biosynthetic genes, especially ∆6Des and ∆4Des, in marine microalga Isochrysis sp., CASA CC 101 their presence resulted in increased production of the PUFAs GLA, EPA and DHA.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study shows that the addition of Fe and MJ to the culture media of Isochrysis sp., CASA CC 101 results in up-regulation of its genes Δ4Des, Δ6Des and Δ5Des, and improves the production of PUFA. Therefore, the addition of Fe and MJ to the culture medium is useful to increase the production of high-value PUFA in Isochrysis sp., CASA CC 101 and also to the other micro algal species.

Gibberellic acids promote growth and exopolysaccharide production in Tetraselmis suecica under reciprocal nitrogen concentration: an assessment on antioxidant properties and nutrient removal efficacy of immobilized iron-magnetic nanoparticles

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of gibberellic acids to enhance the growth, biomass, pigment, and exopolysaccharides production in Tetraselmis suecica under reciprocal nitrogen concentrations. For this study, the seven types of experimental media (N-P, NL-P/2GA3, N0-P/2GA3, NL-P/4GA3, N0-P/4GA3, NL-P/6GA3, and N0-P/6GA3) were prepared with the addition of gibberellic acids under various nitrogen concentrations. The experiment lasted for 15 days and the cell density, biomass, chlorophyll 'a', and exopolysaccharides (EPS) concentration of T. suecica were estimated for every 3 days. Then the EPS was subjected to the analyses of chemical (carbohydrate, protein, sulfate, and uronic acid), and antioxidant activity. In addition, nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated using different concentration of EPS. The highest DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (86.7 ± 0.95%) and hydroxyl radical activity (85.7 ± 2.48%) were observed at the EPS concentrations 2.5 and 1.2 mg/mL, respectively. The immobilized magnetic Fe3O4-EPS (ferric oxide-exopolysaccharides) nanoparticles (5.0 and 10.0 g/L) have efficiently removed the excessive phosphate (89.5 ± 1.65%) and nitrate (73.5 ± 1.72%) from the Litopenaeus vannamei cultured wastewater. Thus, the application of gibberellic acids combined with limited nitrogen concentration could produce higher EPS that could exhibit excellent antioxidant activity, and nutrient removal efficacy in the form of Fe3O4-EPS magnetic nanoparticles.

Responses of Alpha-linolenic acid strain (C-12) from Chlorella sp. L166 to low temperature plasma treatment

LTP treatment was applied to induce a high-content alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) strain (C-12) from Chlorella sp. L166, the ALA content of C-12 was increased by 48.37%. The mechanism of LTP induction were examined. The results showed that LTP could facilitate pH change, induce malondialdehyde (MDA) production, cause protein leakage, and destroyed the microalgae cells. The genes of C-12 encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase (E₂) were up-regulated 2.47-fold, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) down-regulated 0.48-fold compared to the wild type, these changed in the direction of ALA accumulation. Furthermore, the enzymes in DNA replication were significantly up regulated. Take ALA and biomass accumulation into account, LTP technology had a positive effect on ALA accumulation. Global view of metabolic variation also suggested that C-12 had an excellent adaptability to the changes of pH and peroxidation of LTP production. C-12 could be a promising ALA source of alternative materials for it do not compete with land.

Stress hormones mediated lipid accumulation and modulation of specific fatty acids in Nannochloropsis oceanica CASA CC201

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of two plant growth regulators on selective modulation of nutraceutically important fatty acids. Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) promoted microalgal growth compared to control. Treatment with 10 ppm salicylic acid (SA) induced significantly higher lipid production of 475 mg/L (2.2 fold). Interestingly treatment with higher doses of MeJA promoted monounsaturated fatty acid production, particularly oleic acid (C18:1) at early stationary growth phase, while treatment with SA induces essential omega 3 fatty acid production (EPA, C20:5). This significant modification of fatty acid compositions was correlated with the oxidative stress in terms of total reactive oxygen species production and endogenous growth hormone levels. Taken together, the results indicated that treatment with stress associated plant hormones significantly increased high value metabolite accumulation specifically MUFA and PUFA production by modulating stress mechanisms and endogenous growth hormone levels.

Plant hormone induced enrichment of Chlorella sp. omega-3 fatty acids

BACKGROUND

Omega-3 fatty acids have various health benefits in combating against neurological problems, cancers, cardiac problems and hypertriglyceridemia. The main dietary omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from marine fish. Due to the pollution of marine environment, recently microalgae are considered as the promising source for the omega-3 fatty acid production. However, the demand and high production cost associated with microalgal biomass make it necessary to implement novel strategies in improving the biomass and omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae.

RESULTS

Four plant hormones zeatin, indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GBA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were investigated for their effect on the production of biomass and lipid in isolated Chlorella sp. The cells showed an increase of the biomass and lipid content after treatments with the plant hormones where the highest stimulatory effect was observed in ABA-treated cells. On the other hand, IAA showed the highest stimulatory effect on the omega-3 fatty acids content, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (23.25%) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (26.06%). On the other hand, cells treated with ABA had highest lipid content suitable for the biodiesel applications. The determination of ROS markers, antioxidant enzymes, and fatty acid biosynthesis genes after plant hormones treatment helped elucidate the mechanism underlying the improvement in biomass, lipid content and omega-3 fatty acids. All four plant hormones upregulated the fatty acid biosynthesis genes, whereas IAA particularly increased omega-3-fatty acids as a result of the upregulation of omega-3 fatty acid desaturase.

CONCLUSIONS

The contents of omega-3 fatty acids, the clinically important compounds, were considerably improved in IAA-treated cells. The highest lipid content obtained from ABA-treated biomass can be used for biodiesel application according to its biodiesel properties. The EPA and DHA enriched ethyl esters are an approved form of omega-3 fatty acids by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which can be utilized as the therapeutic treatment for the severe hypertriglyceridemia.

Facilitating effects of plant hormones on biomass production and nutrients removal by Tetraselmis cordiformis for advanced sewage treatment and its mechanism

Advanced sewage treatment by microalgae is regarded as a promising method for addressing eutrophication. To improve sewage treatment, three kinds of plant hormones including auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA), cytokinin (Zeatin), and brassinosteroid, were chosen to measure the influence of plant hormones on nitrogen and phosphorus removal by Tetraselmis cordiformis and to analyze their mechanisms, including photosynthesis, nutrient metabolism, and gene transcription. The results indicated that the maximal removal efficiencies of total nitrogen and phosphate by T. cordiformis were elevated by the plant hormones by 184.3% and 53.2%, respectively. The chlorophyll a content was increased by 1.1 times by the plant hormones in comparison with the control. Moreover, after being stimulated by plant hormones, the activities of nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) increased by 90.4% and 82.1%, respectively, in comparison with the control. Supplementation with plant hormones also significantly elevated the mRNA expression level of GS-related gene by 30.9%. This study demonstrated that plant hormones could significantly promote the nutrient removal of microalgae for sewage treatment in artificial laboratory conditions and provided theoretical support for its further practical full-scale application under variable conditions.

Transcriptomic Mechanism of the Phytohormone 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) Stimulating Lipid and DHA Synthesis in Aurantiochytrium sp

The phytohormone 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) significantly improves lipid synthesis of oleaginous microorganisms with the great potential applied in lipid production. In the current study, the lipid and DHA productions in oleaginous Aurantiochytrium sp. were found to be improved by 48.7% and 55.3%, respectively, induced by 6-BAP treatments. Then, using high-throughput RNA-seq technology, the overall de novo assembly of the cDNA sequence data generated 53871 unigenes, and 15902 of these were annotated in at least one database. The comparative transcriptomic profiles of cells with and without 6-BAP treatments revealed that a total of 717 were differently expressed genes (DE), with 472 upregulated and 245 downregulated. Further annotation and categorization indicated that some DE genes were involved in pathways crucial to lipid and DHA productions, such as fatty acid synthesis, central carbon metabolism, transcriptional factor, signal transduction, and mevalonate pathway. A regulation mode of 6-BAP, in turn, perception and transduction of 6-BAP signal, transcription factor, expression regulations of the downstream genes, and metabolic changes, respectively, was put forward for the first time in the present study. This research illuminates the transcriptomic mechanism of phytohormone stimulation of lipid and DHA production in an oleaginous microorganism and provides the potential targets modified using genetic engineering for improving lipid and DHA productivity.

Coupling of abiotic stresses and phytohormones for the production of lipids and high-value by-products by microalgae: A review

Microalgae can produce lipids and high-value by-products under abiotic stress conditions, including nutrient starvation, high light intensity, extreme temperature, high salinity and the presence of heavy metals. However, the growth and development of microalgae and the accumulation of metabolites may be inhibited by adverse stresses. In recent years, phytohormones have emerged as a topic of intense focus in microalgae research. Phytohormones could sustain the growth of microalgae under abiotic stress conditions. In addition, the combination of plant hormones and abiotic stresses could further promote the biosynthesis of metabolites and improve the ability of microalgae to tolerate abiotic stresses. This review primarily focuses on the regulatory effects of exogenous phytohormones on the biosynthesis of metabolites by microalgae under adverse environmental conditions and discusses the mechanisms of phytohormone-mediated cell growth, stress tolerance and lipid biosynthesis in microalgae under abiotic stress conditions.

Melatonin enhances lipid production in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 under nitrogen deficiency conditions via a multi-level mechanism

In this study, melatonin (MT) promoted lipid accumulation in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 under nitrogen deficiency conditions. The lipid accumulation increased 1.22- and 1.36-fold compared with a nitrogen-starved medium and a normal BG-11 medium, respectively. The maximum lipid content was 51.38%. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the presence of melatonin was lower than that in the control group, likely because of the high antioxidant activities. The application of melatonin upregulated the gibberellin acid (GA) production and rbcL and accD expression levels but downregulated the abscisic acid (ABA) content and pepc expression levels. These findings demonstrated that exogenous melatonin could further improve the lipid production in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 by regulating antioxidant systems, signalling molecules, and lipid biosynthesis-related gene expression under nitrogen deficiency conditions.

Metabolites Re-programming and Physiological Changes Induced in Scenedesmus regularis under Nitrate Treatment

Nitrate is required to maintain the growth and metabolism of plant and animals. Nevertheless, in excess amount such as polluted water, its concentration can be harmful to living organisms such as microalgae. Recently, studies on microalgae response towards nutrient fluctuation are usually limited to lipid accumulation for the production of biofuels, disregarding the other potential of microalgae to be used in wastewater treatments and as source of important metabolites. Our study therefore captures the need to investigate overall metabolite changes via NMR spectroscopy approach coupled with multivariate data to understand the complex molecular process under high (4X) and low (1/4X) concentrations of nitrate (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${{\bf{NO}}}_{{\bf{3}}}^{{\boldsymbol{-}}}$$\end{document}NO3−). NMR spectra with the aid of chemometric analysis revealed contrasting metabolites makeup under abundance and limited nitrate treatment. By using NMR technique, 43 types of metabolites and 8 types of fatty acid chains were detected. Nevertheless, only 20 key changes were observed and 16 were down regulated in limited nitrate condition. This paper has demonstrated the feasibility of NMR-based metabolomics approach to study the physiological impact of changing environment such as pollution to the implications for growth and productivity of microalgae population.

Biosorption: An Interplay between Marine Algae and Potentially Toxic Elements-A Review

In recent decades, environmental pollution has emerged as a core issue, around the globe, rendering it of fundamental concern to eco-toxicologists, environmental biologists, eco-chemists, pathologists, and researchers from other fields. The dissolution of polluting agents is a leading cause of environmental pollution of all key spheres including the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, among others. The widespread occurrence of various pollutants including toxic heavy metals and other emerging hazardous contaminants is a serious concern. With increasing scientific knowledge, socioeconomic awareness, human health problems, and ecological apprehensions, people are more concerned about adverse health outcomes. Against this background, several removal methods have been proposed and implemented with the aim of addressing environmental pollution and sustainable and eco-friendly development. Among them, the biosorption of pollutants using naturally inspired sources, e.g., marine algae, has considerable advantages. In the past few years, marine algae have been extensively studied due to their natural origin, overall cost-effective ratio, and effectiveness against a broader pollutant range; thus, they are considered a potential alternative to the conventional methods used for environmental decontamination. Herein, an effort has been made to highlight the importance of marine algae as naturally inspired biosorbents and their role in biosorption. Biosorption mechanisms and factors affecting biosorption activities are also discussed in this review. The utilization of marine algae as a biosorbent for the removal of numerous potentially toxic elements has also been reviewed.