The effect of chitosan concentration on flocculation efficiency microalgae Porphyridium cruentum (Rhodhophyta)

Porphyridium cruentum is a species of red microalgae belongs to the family Porphyridiophyceae, divisi Rhodophyta. P. cruentum contains a lot of nutrients which are very useful as functional food. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of chitosan concentration on the flocculation efficiency of P. cruentum. In this study, there were two treatments, namely the concentration of chitosan and the time of flocculation with 3 replications. Chitosan used were 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 ppm. The flocculation efficiency were carried out at 10, 20, 30 and 40 minutes. The highest density was reached on the seventh day as amount 1720x104cell/mL. The results showed that there was an effect of Chitosan concentration on flocculation efficiency (Anova two way; Fcount = 4.109; df (9; 80); p=0.01). In addition, there was an effect of flocculation time on flocculation efficiency (Anova two way, Fcount = 4.498; df (3;80)). Furthermore, there was an interaction effect between the chitosan concentration and the time of flocculation. (Anova two way; Fcount = 26.635; df (2;80)). The greater the value of chitosan concentration given the greater the value of flocculation efficiency.

Potential of the Red Alga Dixoniella grisea for the Production of Additives for Lubricants

There is an increasing interest in algae-based raw materials for medical, cosmetic or nutraceutical applications. Additionally, the high diversity of physicochemical properties of the different algal metabolites proposes these substances from microalgae as possible additives in the chemical industry. Among the wide range of natural products from red microalgae, research has mainly focused on extracellular polymers for additive use, while this study also considers the cellular components. The aim of the present study is to analytically characterize the extra- and intracellular molecular composition from the red microalga Dixoniella grisea and to evaluate its potential for being used in the tribological industry. D. grisea samples, fractionated into extracellular polymers (EPS), cells and medium, were examined for their molecular composition. This alga produces a highly viscous polymer, mainly composed of polysaccharides and proteins, being secreted into the culture medium. The EPS and biomass significantly differed in their molecular composition, indicating that they might be used for different bio-additive products. We also show that polysaccharides and proteins were the major chemical compounds in EPS, whereas the content of lipids depended on the separation protocol and the resulting product. Still, they did not represent a major group and were thus classified as a potential valuable side-product. Lyophilized algal fractions obtained from D. grisea were found to be not toxic when EPS were not included. Upon implementation of EPS as a commercial product, further assessment on the environmental toxicity to enchytraeids and other soil organisms is required. Our results provide a possible direction for developing a process to gain an environmentally friendly bio-additive for application in the tribological industry based on a biorefinery approach.

Biochemical Composition and Phycoerythrin Extraction from Red Microalgae: A Comparative Study Using Green Extraction Technologies

Porphyridium spp. is a debated family that produces phycoerythrin (PE) for use in multiple industrial applications. We compared the differences in the biochemical composition and phycoerythrin yield of P. cruentum and P. purpureum by conventional and green extraction technologies. The protein content in P. cruentum was 42.90 ±1.84% w/w. The omega-3 fatty acid (FA) was highlighted by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5, ω-3, ~9.74 ± 0.27% FA) and arachidonic acid (ARA, C20:4, ω-6, ~18.02 ± 0.81% FA) represented the major omega-6 fatty acid. Conversely, P. purpureum demonstrated a higher lipid content (17.34 ± 1.35% w/w) and an FA profile more saturated in palmitic (C16:0, 29.01 ± 0.94% FA) and stearic acids (C18:0, 50.02 ± 1.72% FA). Maceration and freeze/thaw were the conventional methods, whereas microwave (MW) and ultrasound (US) served as green procedures for PE extraction under the factorial-design methodology. Aqueous solvents, extraction-time and power were the main factors in the statistical extraction designs based on Response-Surface Methodology (RSM). Overall, the PE extraction yield was higher (2-to 6-fold) in P. cruentum than in P. purpureum. Moreover, green technologies (US > MW) improved the PE recovery in comparison with the conventional methods for both of the microalgae. The maximum PE yield (33.85 mg/g) was obtained under optimal US conditions (15 min and buffer solvent (PBS)) for P. cruentum. Finally, we proved the biochemical differences between the red microalgae and ratified the advantages of using green extraction for PE because it reduced the processing times and costs and increased the economic and functional-applications of bioactive compounds in the industry.