A co-cultivation process of Nannochloropsis oculata and Tisochrysis lutea induces morpho-physiological and biochemical variations potentially useful for biotechnological purposes

Abstract

The biotechnological potential of microalgae has gained considerable importance in many applied fields: biomass production for food and feed, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical products, energy and phytoremediation. The driving force that inspires the progress in microalgae production is the need for new cultivation systems to obtain simultaneously the maximum yield, reduction of water and nutrients use, and production of economically interesting molecules, such as pigments, fatty acids and polysaccharides. We aim to test, for the first time, the co-cultivation in saline medium of Tisochrysis lutea (Haptophyta) and Nannochloropsis oculata (Ochrophyta) to obtain valuable compounds, i.e. pigments and lipids characteristic of each species, using a single culture process. Mono-cultures of each strain were used as controls. The two strains showed an increase in the concentration of chlorophylls and carotenoids in co-culture. At the end of the experiment, the fatty acid profile was analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The lipids in the co-cultivated cell extracts were mainly attributable to N. oculata, which represented 97% of the total cells (ca. 83% of the total biomass) at the end of the experiment. Nevertheless, the ω-3 characteristic of T. lutea (DHA and SDA, absent in N. oculata) was also detectable. Although the co-cultivation of these two phylogenetically different species of microalgae did not show positive effects on the growth and on the total lipid production, however, this process resulted in a reduction of the production costs and a lower consumption of water and nutrients.

Chlorophyta microalgae as dietary protein supplement: a comparative analysis of productivity related to photosynthesis

“…The monitoring of microalgal growth and the knowledge of biological characteristics of these micro-organisms are fundamental issues to improve the performance of cultures in biotechnological fields (Havlik et al 2013;Maglie et al 2021). Growth, photosynthetic pigment and protein content represent species-specific aspects of microalgae but are influenced by culture conditions.…”

Characterization of Neochloris oleoabundans under Different Cultivation Modes and First Results on Bioactivity of Its Extracts against HCoV-229E Virus

“…In this perspective, vesiculations and cytoplasmic material, possibly released in the extracellular surface, are observed in several microalgae, like Tisochrysis lutea or Desmodesmus sp. [ 5 , 46 ].…”

“…Microalgae is a large group of photosynthetic micro-organisms, mostly distributed in fresh and marine waters but also in adverse environments [ 1 , 2 ]. Due to their evolutionary history and their high adaptability to variations in environmental conditions, these micro-organisms have evolved remarkable diversity of physiological and biochemical constraints [ 3 , 4 , 5 ], making them promising natural sources for a wide range of biotechnological applications (for example, production of food/feed, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, green-energy) [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Taking this into account, artificial manipulations of growth conditions (nutrients, temperature, salinity, etc.)…”

Influence of light intensity and photoperiod on the pigment and, lipid production of Dunaliella tertiolecta and Nannochloropsis oculata under three different culture medium

“…With increase in demand for healthy foods, their sustainable and cheaper source of production is also one of the major concerns. Microalgae biomass producing various metabolites in high yields which are known for the applications in food and feed are considered as promising feedstock [ 4 ] (a).Among the marine algae, species belonging to the class of Eustigmatophycease Nannochloropsis oculata is recognised as fast growing marine microalgae because they have high biomass productivity and lipid yields [ 5 ]. Even though, Dunaliella sp.…”