Factors Affecting Microalgae Production for Biofuels and the Potentials of Chemometric Methods in Assessing and Optimizing Productivity

Microfluidic method for rapidly determining the protein and lipid yield of microalgae

Microalgae are a promising source of green energy. They produce valuable bioproducts, such as proteins and lipids, and remove atmospheric carbon. In this study, we developed a microfluidic chip for culturing and screening for microalgae with high protein and lipid contents. Over 30 microalgae cultures can be grown in parallel in hanging drops on the chip and separately subjected to various experimental treatments, such as random mutations or different light levels. The microfluidic chip has a simple design and was fabricated from optically transparent polymethyl methacrylate; it could be easily operated without complex equipment (e.g., a syringe pump). The design was experimentally validated by culturing Cyanidium sp. and performing in-situ fluorescein measurements of its protein content after various ultraviolet and illumination treatments; significant increases in protein yield were observed for selected mutants (approximately 36 %) and further increased with optimized illumination (2500 lux; approximately 35 %). Moreover, Botryococcus braunii cultured in hanging drops that were separately immobilized using a biocompatible agarose gel for in-situ Raman spectroscopy measurements that rapidly determined the lipid composition. Our developed single-drop Raman spectroscopy method not only quantified the lipid content but also revealed its detailed chemical composition. In summary, the designed microfluidic chip is suitable for in-situ fluorescent assays and Raman microspectroscopy and is a compelling solution for high-throughput screening of algal lipids and proteins, reducing the labor required for breeding mutant algae and optimizing algal cultivation.

Marine-Derived Bioactive Ingredients in Functional Foods for Aging: Nutritional and Therapeutic Perspectives

Aging is closely linked to various health challenges, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. This study emphasizes the critical role of bioactive compounds derived from marine sources, such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and polysaccharides, in addressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disorders closely related to aging. Incorporating these materials into functional foods not only provides essential nutrients but also delivers therapeutic effects, thereby promoting healthy aging and mitigating age-related diseases. The growth of the global anti-aging market, particularly in North America, Europe, and Asia, underscores the significance of this study. This review systematically analyzes the current research, identifying key bioactive compounds, their mechanisms of action, and their potential health benefits, thus highlighting the broad applicability of marine-derived bioactive compounds to enhancing healthy aging and improving the quality of life of aging populations.

Multimodal non-invasive probing of stress-induced carotenogenesis in the cells of microalga Bracteacoccus aggregatus

Microalgae are the richest source of natural carotenoids-accessory photosynthetic pigments used as natural antioxidants, safe colorants, and nutraceuticals. Microalga Bracteacoccus aggregatus IPPAS C-2045 responds to stresses, including high light, with carotenogenesis-gross accumulation of secondary carotenoids (the carotenoids structurally and energetically uncoupled from photosynthesis). Precise mechanisms of cytoplasmic transport and subcellular distribution of the secondary carotenoids under stress are still unknown. Using multimodal imaging combining micro-Raman imaging (MRI), fluorescent lifetime (τ) imaging (FLIM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we monitored ultrastructural and biochemical rearrangements of B. aggregatus cells during the stress-induced carotenogenesis. MRI revealed a decline in the diversity of molecular surrounding of the carotenoids in the cells compatible with the relocation of the bulk of the carotenoids in the cell from functionally and structurally heterogeneous photosynthetic apparatus to the more homogenous lipid matrix of the oleosomes. Two-photon FLIM highlighted the pigment transformation in the cell during the stress-induced carotenogenesis. The structures co-localized with the carotenoids with shorter τ (mainly chloroplast) shrunk, whereas the structures harboring secondary carotenoids with longer τ (mainly oleosomes) expanded. These changes were in line with the ultrastructural data (TEM). Fluorescence of B. aggregatus carotenoids, either in situ or in acetone extracts, possessed a surprisingly long lifetime. We hypothesize that the extension of τ of the carotenoids is due to their aggregation and/or association with lipids and proteins. The propagation of the carotenoids with prolonged τ is considered to be a manifestation of the secondary carotenogenesis suitable for its non-invasive monitoring with multimodal imaging.

Is Cladophora fracta an efficient tool of accumulating critical raw materials from wastewater and there a potential health risk of use of algae as organic fertilizer?

 In this study investigation of accumulations of critical raw materials (cobalt (Co), antimony (Sb), vanadium (V), lanthanum (La) and tungsten (W)) from wastewater by using C. fracta were aimed. Besides, assessment of the potential health risks in terms of the use of organic fertilizer obtained from the macroalga to be harvested from the treatment were also aimed. Highest Co, Sb, V, La and W accumulations by algae in reactor were 125±6.2%, 201.25±10%, 318.18±15%, 357.97±18%, and 500±25%, respectively. When compared with control, Co, Sb, V, La and W in algae increased 2.25, 3.01, 4.18, 4.58, and 6 times, respectively. The algae was very high bioaccumulative for Co and La. Highest MPI was calculated as 3.94. Non-carcinogenic risk of CRMs according to different exposure types (ingestion, inhalation, and dermal) were calculated for man, woman and child. There is not any non-carcinogenic risk from the investigated exposure ways of algae as organic fertilizer.

Xanthophyll-Rich Extract of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin as New Photoprotective Cosmeceutical Agent: Safety and Efficacy Assessment on In Vitro Reconstructed Human Epidermis Model

The nutritional and health properties of algae make them perfect functional ingredients for nutraceutical and cosmeceutical applications. In this study, the Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin (Phaeodactylaceae), a pleiomorphic diatom commonly found in marine ecosystems, was investigated. The in vitro culture conditions used favoured the fusiform morphotype, characterized by a high accumulation of neutral lipids, as detected by fluorescence microscopy after BODIPY staining. These data were confirmed by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS/MS analyses carried out on the ethanolic extract (PTE), which showed a high content of xanthophylls (98.99%), and in particular of fucoxanthin (Fx, 6.67 g/100 g PTE). The antioxidant activity (ORAC, FRAP, TEAC and β-carotene bleaching) and photostability of PTE and Fx against UVA and UVB rays were firstly evaluated by in vitro cell-free assays. After this, phototoxicity and photoprotective studies were carried out on in vitro reconstructed human epidermidis models. Results demonstrated that PTE (0.1% Fx) and 0.1% Fx, both photostable, significantly (p < 0.05) reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress markers (ROS, NO and IL-1α), as well as cytotoxicity and sunburn cells induced by UVA and UVB doses simulating the solar radiation, with an excellent safety profile. However, PTE proved to be more effective than Fx, suggesting its effective and safe use in broad-spectrum sunscreens.

Experimental Investigation for Determining an Ideal Algal Biodiesel-Diesel Blend to Improve the Performance and Mitigate Emissions Using a Response Surface Methodology

The ongoing depletion of the world's fossil fuel sources and environmental damage has compelled the quest for alternative energy. Excellent characteristics of biodiesel include its renewable nature, safety, absence of sulfur, environmental advantages, and biodegradability, which can eradicate the above problems. In this study, algal oil was characterized to obtain the fatty acid profile, and the free fatty acid value of algal oil suggested a two-step process of esterification and transesterification for efficient biodiesel production. The performance and emission results of biodiesel and its blends (B10, B20, and B30) were investigated in a constant speed, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 3.5 kW compression ignition engine at different loads for arriving at an appropriate fuel blend ratio. The response surface methodology technique is used to predict the ideal composition of microalgae-diesel using the experimental data with due weightage for the optimization criterion. The predicted blend ratio of B25 was tested on the engine and authenticated. The findings recorded an improvement in brake thermal efficiency to 31.42% and reduction in brake specific energy consumption to 9.82 MJ/kW h, unburned hydrocarbon to 85 ppm, carbon monoxide to 0.164% v/v, carbon dioxide to 4.115% v/v, nitrogen oxides to 691 ppm, and smoke opacity to 16.93%.

Effect of Spirulina Dietary Supplementation in Modifying the Rumen Microbiota of Ewes

Supplementing ruminant diets with microalgae, may prove an effective nutritional strategy to manipulate rumen microbiota. Forty-eight ewes were divided into four homogenous groups (n = 12) according to their fat-corrected milk yield (6%), body weight, age, and days in milk, and were fed individually with concentrate, alfalfa hay, and wheat straw. The concentrate of the control group (CON) had no Spirulina supplementation, while in the treated groups 5 (SP5), 10 (SP10), and 15 g (SP15) of Spirulina were supplemented as an additive in the concentrate. An initial screening using metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology was followed by RT-qPCR analysis for the targeting of specific microbes, which unveiled the main alterations of the rumen microbiota under the Spirulina supplementation levels. The relative abundance of Eubacterium ruminantium and Fibrobacter succinogenes in rumen fluid, as well as Ruminococcus albus in rumen solid fraction, were significantly increased in the SP15 group. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Prevotella brevis was significantly increased in the rumen fluid of the SP5 and SP10 groups. In contrast, the relative abundance of Ruminobacter amylophilus was significantly decreased in the rumen fluid of the SP10 compared to the CON group, while in the solid fraction it was significantly decreased in the SP groups. Moreover, the relative abundance of Selenomonas ruminantium was significantly decreased in the SP5 and SP15 groups, while the relative abundance of Streptococcus bovis was significantly decreased in the SP groups. Consequently, supplementing 15 g Spirulina/ewe/day increased the relative abundance of key cellulolytic species in the rumen, while amylolytic species were reduced only in the solid fraction.

Rapid identification of polypeptide from carbapenem-resistant and susceptible Escherichia coli via Orbitrap-MS and pattern recognition analyses

A rapid and accurate analytical method was established to identify CREC and CSEC. Orbitrap-MS was used to detect the polypeptide of CREC and CSEC strains, and MS data were analyzed by pattern recognition analyses such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). HCA based on the farthest distance method could well distinguish the two types of E. coli, and the cophenetic correlation coefficient of the farthest distance method was 0.901. Comparing the results of PCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA, OPLS-DA exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting the CREC and CSEC strains. A total of 26 compounds were identified, and six of the compounds were the highly significant difference between the two types of strains. MS combined with pattern recognition can achieve a more comprehensive and efficient statistical analysis of complex biological samples.

Statistical optimization for simultaneous removal of methyl red and production of fatty acid methyl esters using fresh alga Scenedesmus obliquus

Microalgae are a diverse group of microorganisms, the majority of which are photosynthetic in nature. Microalgae have different applications, the most important of which is the biological treatment of wastewater. Microalgae grow in various types of wastewater, such as wastewater polluted by Azo dyes, due to microalgae using wastewater as a culture medium, which contains many nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate, and carbon sources. Microalgae grow in various types of wastewater, such as wastewater polluted by Azo dyes, due to microalgae using wastewater as a culture medium, which contains many nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate, and carbon sources. So, microalgae are used for bioremediation of wastewater due to the efficiency of growing in wastewater and for the high production of lipids followed by trans-esterification to biodiesel. Face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) was used to determine the factors that have the most significant impact on the simultaneous decolorization of methyl red and lipid production by the fresh green alga Scenedesmus obliquus. The predicted results indicated that the alga decolorized 70.15% methyl red and produced 20.91% lipids by using 1 g/L nitrogen, an incubation time of 10 days, a pH of 8, and the concentration of methyl red is 17.65 mg/L. The dry biomasses of S. obliquus were also examined by SEM and FTIR before and after treatment with methyl red. SEM and FTIR showed that the properties of dry S. obliquus were altered after the biosorption of methyl red. According to GC-MS analysis of hexane extracts of S. obliquus, the lipid profile differed before and after methyl red decolorization. The results proved that it is possible to use S. obliquus to remove dyes and produce renewable fuels such as biodiesel. The novelty of this study is that this is the first time in which the effect of nitrogen concentrations in the medium used for algal growth on the removal of dye has been studied.

Algae as an emerging source of bioactive pigments

Algae have been identified as natural producer of bioactive commercial pigments. To perform photosynthesis, algae use pigments to harvest sunlight energy. The pigments found in algae are categorized in chlorophylls, phycobilins, and carotenoids. Popular carotenoids include astaxanthin, lutein,fucoxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and finds application as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunoprophylactic, antitumor activities among others. Due to double-bonds in their structure, they exhibit broad health applications while protecting other molecules from oxidative stress induced by active radicals using various mechanisms. These carotenoids are synthesized by certain species as major products however they also present as byproducts in several species based on the pathway and genetic capability. Haematococcus pluvialis and Chlorella zofingiensis are ideal strains for commercial astaxanthin production. This review provides recent updates on microalgal pigment production, extraction, and purification processes to standardize and analyze for commercial production. Also, discussed the factors affecting its production, application, market potential, bottlenecks, and future prospects.

Biofuels from Micro-Organisms: Thermodynamic Considerations on the Role of Electrochemical Potential on Micro-Organisms Growth

Biofuels from micro-organisms represents a possible response to the carbon dioxide mitigation. One open problem is to improve their productivity, in terms of biofuels production. To do so, an improvement of the present model of growth and production is required. However, this implies an understanding of the growth spontaneous conditions of the bacteria. In this paper, a thermodynamic approach is developed in order to highlight the fundamental role of the electrochemical potential in bacteria proliferation. Temperature effect on the biosystem behaviour has been pointed out. The results link together the electrochemical potential, the membrane electric potential, the pH gradient through the membrane, and the temperature, with the result of improving the thermodynamic approaches, usually introduced in this topic of research.

Isolation of Industrial Important Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae

Microalgae are known as a rich source of bioactive compounds which exhibit different biological activities. Increased demand for sustainable biomass for production of important bioactive components with various potential especially therapeutic applications has resulted in noticeable interest in algae. Utilisation of microalgae in multiple scopes has been growing in various industries ranging from harnessing renewable energy to exploitation of high-value products. The focuses of this review are on production and the use of value-added components obtained from microalgae with current and potential application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, energy and agri-food industries, as well as for bioremediation. Moreover, this work discusses the advantage, potential new beneficial strains, applications, limitations, research gaps and future prospect of microalgae in industry.

The Perspective of Large-Scale Production of Algae Biodiesel

We have had high expectations for using algae biodiesel for many years, but the quantities of biodiesel currently produced from algae are tiny compared to the quantities of conventional diesel oil. Furthermore, no comprehensive analysis of the impact of all factors on the market production of algal biodiesel has been made so far. This paper aims to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with algal biodiesel, to evaluate its production prospects for the biofuels market. The results of the analysis show that it is possible to increase the efficiency of algae biomass production further. However, because the production of this biodiesel is an energy-intensive process, the price of biodiesel is high. Opportunities for more economical production of algal biodiesel are seen in integration with other processes, such as wastewater treatment, but this does not ensure large-scale production. The impact of state policies and laws is significant in the future of algal biodiesel production. With increasingly stringent environmental requirements, electric cars are a significant threat to biodiesel production. By considering all the influencing factors, it is not expected that algal biodiesel will gain an essential place in the fuel market.

Bioplastic Production from Microalgae: A Review

Plastic waste production around the world is increasing, which leads to global plastic waste pollution. The need for an innovative solution to reduce this pollution is inevitable. Increased recycling of plastic waste alone is not a comprehensive solution. Furthermore, decreasing fossil-based plastic usage is an important aspect of sustainability. As an alternative to fossil-based plastics in the market, bio-based plastics are gaining in popularity. According to the studies conducted, products with similar performance characteristics can be obtained using biological feedstocks instead of fossil-based sources. In particular, bioplastic production from microalgae is a new opportunity to be explored and further improved. The aim of this study is to determine the current state of bioplastic production technologies from microalgae species and reveal possible optimization opportunities in the process and application areas. Therefore, the species used as resources for bioplastic production, the microalgae cultivation methods and bioplastic material production methods from microalgae were summarized.

Co-production of biodiesel and bioethanol using psychrophilic microalga Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C isolated from Arctic sea ice

BACKGROUND

Biofuels, generated using microalgae as sustainable energy, have received a lot of attention. Microalgae can be cultivated at low cost with CO₂ and solar energy without competition from edible crops. Psychrophilic microalgae can be a suitable feedstock to produce biofuels without the environmental constraints of low temperatures, because they can grow below 10 °C. However, there is a lack of efficient strategies using psychrophilic microalgae to produce biodiesel and bioethanol. Therefore, the current study aimed to optimize the production of biodiesel and bioethanol from Arctic Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C at low temperatures.

RESULTS

After incubation in a 20-L photobioreactor, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was extracted using modified FAME extraction methods, producing a maximum yield of 0.16-g FAME/g KNM0029C. Residual biomass was pretreated for bioethanol production, and the yields from different methods were compared. The highest bioethanol yield (0.22-g/g residual biomass) was obtained by pretreatment with enzyme (amyloglucosidase) after sonication. Approximately 300-mg biofuel was obtained, including 156-mg FAME biodiesel and 144-mg bioethanol per g dried cells, representing the highest recorded yield from psychrophilic microalgae.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first to attempt at utilizing biomass from psychrophilic Arctic microalga Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C for the co-production of bioethanol and biodiesel, and it yielded the highest values among reported studies using psychrophilic organisms. These results can be used as a source for the efficient biofuel production using polar microalgae.

Microalgae in Food-Energy-Water Nexus: A Review on Progress of Forward Osmosis Applications

Nowadays the world is facing vulnerability problems related to food, energy and water demands. The challenges in those subsystems are intertwined and thus require inter-discipline approaches to address them. Bioresources offer promising solutions of the dilemma. Microalgae biomass is expected to become a superfood and a favorable energy feedstock and assist in supplying clean water and treat wastewater. Efficient mass production of microalgae, both during upstream and downstream processes, is thus a key process for providing high quality and affordable microalgae biomass. This paper covers recent progress in microalgae harvesting and dewatering by using osmotic driven membrane process, i.e., forward osmosis. Critical factors during forward osmosis process for microalgae harvesting and dewatering are discussed. Finally, perspective on further research directions and implementation scenarios of the forward osmosis are also provided.