Comparative Analysis of the Chemical Composition of Mixed and Pure Cultures of Green Algae and Their Decomposed Residues by ¹³ C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract

It is known that macromolecular organic matter in aquatic environments, i.e., humic substances, is highly aliphatic. These aliphatic macromolecules, predominantly paraffinic in structure, are prevalent in marine and lacustrine sediments and are believed to originate from algae or bacteria. A comparative study of mixed and pure cultures of green algae and their decomposed residues was performed by using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as the primary analytical method. Results obtained in this study confirm the presence of components that are chemically refractory and that are defined as alghumin and hydrolyzed alghumin. These were detected in heterogeneous, homogeneous, and axenic biomasses composed of several genera of Chlorophyta. Although the chemical composition of algal biomass varied with culture conditions, the chemical structure of the alghumin and hydrolyzed alghumin, demonstrated by '3C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy appeared to be constant for members of the Chlorophyta examined in this study. The

Enhanced crude oil biodegradative potential of natural phytoplankton‐associated hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria

“…By nature of their surface chemistry, phytoplankton cell surfaces have been shown to adsorb and accumulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules (Mallet and Sarfou, 1964;Andelman and Suess, 1970). Phytoplankton may also be a biogenic source of PAHs by synthesizing these compounds (Andelman and Suess, 1970;Gunnison and Alexander, 1975) and translocating them into the algal cell wall (Gunnison and Alexander, 1975;Zelibor et al, 1988). Compared to the surrounding seawater, phytoplankton cell surfaces can thus become enriched with PAHs, and attract PAHdegrading bacteria to an available source of carbon and energy.…”

Investigations of Enzymatic Alterations of 2,4-Dichlorophenol Using 13c-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Combination With Site-Specific 13c-Labeling: Understanding the Environmental Fate of This Pollutant

“…Unfortunately, many degradation byproducts and mechanistic pathways are unknown because the by-products are too polar or are not volatile enough for analysis by GC methods. However, a new method has been devised by Hatcher et al [5] which overcomes these problems and is an extension of previously employed methods for examining complex natural processes [11][12][13][14][15]. This method involves labeling molecules with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-sensitive nuclei in combination with standard NMR techniques.…”

THE FIBRILLAR POLYSACCHARIDES AND THEIR LINKAGE TO ALGAENAN IN THE TRILAMINAR LAYER OF THE CELL WALL OF COELASTRUM SPHAERICUM (CHLOROPHYCEAE)

“…With the application of solid-state 13 C NMR, it soon became evident not only that algaenan differed from sporopollenin of pollen exines (Guilford et al 1988) but also that it was not in itself a homogeneous product. Proteins, amides, and polysaccharides always appeared associated with it (Zelibor et al 1988, Derenne et al 1993, Rodríguez and Cerezo 1996.…”

“…An outstanding feature of the cell walls of several marine and freshwater chlorophyceaen microalgae is their extraordinary resistance to mechanical rupture and chemical degradation. This characteristic is related to the presence of an acetolysis-resistant material in the outer trilaminar layer of the cell wall (Atkinson et al 1972, Marchant 1977, Berkaloff et al 1983, Puel et al 1987, Zelibor et al 1988, Delwiche et al 1989, Derenne et al 1991, 1992a, b, 1993.…”

“…The algal resistant polymer has been considered to be sporopollenin or ''sporopollenin-like'' because of its similarities to the analogous component of the exines of pollen grains, for example, its deposition within a trilaminar layer in the cell wall, resistance to acetolysis, and similar IR spectra (At-kinson et al 1972, Marchant 1977, Good and Chapman 1978, Honegger and Brunner 1981, Brunner and Honegger 1985, Burczyk 1987a, b, Guilford et al 1988, Delwiche et al 1989). This acetolysis-resistant material from algae is refractory to microbial decomposition (Zelibor et al 1988) and constitutes part of the organic sediments in aquatic environments. Resistance to (bio)degradation causes selective preservation and consequent enrichment of the kerogen fraction (ϭ sedimentary organic matter insoluble in common organic solvents) during biomass fossilization (Tegelaar et al 1989).…”