First record of cyanobacteria species: Cephalothrix komarekiana, from tropical Asia

Abstract

Cyanobacteria play an important ecological role in every ecosystem with hidden economic and social impact. Among tropical countries, Sri Lanka holds a rich biodiversity with remarkable cyanobacterial diversity. The major objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of culturable cyanobacteria from freshwater bodies of Sri Lanka, with a phylogenetic perspective. Molecular characterization followed by phylogenetic evaluations allowed identification of new species with value added potential and revealed deeper taxonomic resolutions. A total of 74 monocultures were obtained. Rare isolates; Alkalinema pantanalense (U4), Geitlerinema sp. (U36) and Westiellopsis prolifica (U58) were also among them. Novel species Cephalothrix komarekiana was identified for the first time in Sri Lanka. This species was first reported from South American continent (Brazil and Amazonian rivers in 2015 and 2017 respectively) and Korea in 2018. The present study is next in line reporting the species first time from the tropical Asia. Higher value added potential and easy culturing of C. komarekiana suggest its economical applicability in many industries. Overall, this study provides insight on diversity, ecological distribution and industrial applicability of culturable cyanobacteria from the tropics with special reference to C. komarekiana reported from Sri Lanka.

Cyanobacteria Secondary Metabolites as Biotechnological Ingredients in Natural Anti-Aging Cosmetics: Potential to Overcome Hyperpigmentation, Loss of Skin Density and UV Radiation-Deleterious Effects

“…In aqueous extracts, the most promising results were obtained for the highest concentration tested, with Leptolyngbya boryana LEGE 15486 and Cephalothrix lacustris LEGE 15493 standing out with in vitro SPF values of 17.1 and 14.9, respectively ( Table 7 ). Discussing previous studies in this field, Hossain and his team [ 51 ] reported that the SPF value for Cephalothrix komarekiana extract was 2.37. Another group found that the SPF of a methanol extract of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was 4 [ 52 ].…”

Screening the Survival of Cyanobacteria Under Perchlorate Stress. Potential Implications for Mars In Situ Resource Utilization

“…acuminatum, L. foveolarum ), concrete ( C. komarekiana ), and salt marshes ( A. africanum ). It is plausible that all of them share some degree of resistance to desiccation and UV radiation—the latter was just recently confirmed for C. komarekiana (Hossain et al , 2021 )—both of which are factors that can induce significant oxidative stress (Santos et al , 2012 ). Studies of desiccation-tolerant bacteria such as Hydrogenothermus marinus (Stohr et al , 2001 ) have demonstrated that it can grow under a high concentration of perchlorate (Beblo-Vranesevic et al , 2017 ).…”

Investigation of the value-added potential of some selected freshwater cyanobacteria

“…Water samples were collected from the photic zone of freshwater reservoirs in the Dry zone of Sri Lanka (5° 54′ N -9° 52′ N latitude and 79° 39′ E -81° 53′ E longitude) (Hossain et al, 2020) using a Ruttner sampler. Ten mL of the sample which was filtered through 20 μm mesh size planktonic net was transferred into 100 mL conical flasks with 40 mL of BG11 medium with 7.5 pH (Table 1).…”

“…To establish pure monocultures, isolated cyanobacteria in streak or spread plates were repeatedly sub cultured, and numerous microscopic examinations were performed. After isolation, monocultures were maintained in 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks filled with 200 mL of BG-11 medium (Hossain et al, 2020).…”

“…Higher photosynthetic ability, simple, rapid and ubiquitous growth, equal or better nutritional quality compared to some traditional crops, the ability to utilize the same space for regrowth and continuous production of quality harvest throughout the year with less capital investment and zero environmental pollution, make cyanobacteria more promising and sustainable to be used in food and cosmetics industry to ensure good health status in global population. Diversity of cyanobacteria in tropics is remarkably high and tropical islands such as Sri Lanka provide habitats for a diverse collection of cyanobacteria (Hossain et al, 2020;Senanayake and Yatigammana, 2017;Wanigatunge et al, 2014) with an unexplored industrial potential, specifically in food and cosmetic industries. Therefore, the major objective of the study was to evaluate the value-added potential of some selected Sri Lankan freshwater cyanobacteria in providing sustainable solutions for malnutrition and UV induced skin damage.…”