Increase in biomass productivity and protein content of Spirulina sp. LEB 18 (Arthrospira) cultivated with crude glycerol

Glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production. Purified, this compound has several applications; however, in its crude form, its commercial value is limited. An alternative use of crude glycerol is its application as an organic carbon source in microalgal cultures. This study aimed to investigate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomass conversion and biorefinery 2022-03, Vol.12 (3), p.597-605
Main Authors: de Morais, Etiele Greque, Nunes, Itaciara Larroza, Druzian, Janice Izabel, de Morais, Michele Greque, da Rosa, Ana Priscila Centeno, Costa, Jorge Alberto Vieira
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Biodiesel fuels
Biofuels
Biomass
Biomolecules
Bioreactors
Biotechnology
Carbohydrates
Chlorophyll
Energy
Fatty acids
Glycerol
Lipids
Organic carbon
Original Article
Productivity
Proteins
Renewable and Green Energy
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Summary:Glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production. Purified, this compound has several applications; however, in its crude form, its commercial value is limited. An alternative use of crude glycerol is its application as an organic carbon source in microalgal cultures. This study aimed to investigate the different concentrations in crude glycerol influence productivity, biomass concentration, and biomolecules content in cultures of Spirulina sp. LEB 18. Microalga was cultured in media supplemented with different glycerol concentrations in Erlenmeyer bioreactors during 15 days. The best glycerol concentration was 2.5 g L −1 , which led to the maximum biomass productivity (0.43 g L day −1 ). Proteins were the largest component of the biomass (75.7% w w −1 , 2.5 g L −1 glycerol) and could be used to obtain high-added-value compounds. Carbohydrates ranged from 7.0 (control) to 8.9% (1.5 g L −1 ) w w −1 . Chlorophyll was reduced up to 47% (9.14 mg g −1 ) in the assay using 5 g L −1 of glycerol. The lipids produced in this condition (8.3% w w −1 , 2.5 g L −1 glycerol) presented interesting properties for biodiesel production because of their high content of saturated fatty acids (260.56 mg g −1 , 2.5 g L −1 glycerol). Microalgae culture with crude glycerol could aggregate value to a biodiesel co-product through biocompounds production making the biofuel production process more sustainable.
ISSN:2190-6815
2190-6823
DOI:10.1007/s13399-020-00934-4