Impact of dehydration on the physiochemical properties of Nostoc calcicola BOT1 and its untargeted metabolic profiling through UHPLC-HRMS

Abstract

The global population growth has led to a higher demand for food production, necessitating improvements in agricultural productivity. However, abiotic and biotic stresses pose significant challenges, reducing crop yields and impacting economic and social welfare. Drought, in particular, severely constrains agriculture, resulting in unproductive soil, reduced farmland, and jeopardized food security. Recently, the role of cyanobacteria from soil biocrusts in rehabilitating degraded land has gained attention due to their ability to enhance soil fertility and prevent erosion. The present study focused on Nostoc calcicola BOT1, an aquatic, diazotrophic cyanobacterial strain collected from an agricultural field at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. The aim was to investigate the effects of different dehydration treatments, specifically air drying (AD) and desiccator drying (DD) at various time intervals, on the physicochemical properties of N. calcicola BOT1. The impact of dehydration was assessed by analyzing the photosynthetic efficiency, pigments, biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, osmoprotectants), stress biomarkers, and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Furthermore, an analysis of the metabolic profiles of 96-hour DD and control mats was conducted using UHPLC-HRMS. Notably, there was a significant decrease in amino acid levels, while phenolic content, fatty acids, and lipids increased. These changes in metabolic activity during dehydration highlighted the presence of metabolite pools that contribute to the physiological and biochemical adjustments of N. calcicola BOT1, mitigating the impact of dehydration to some extent. Overall, present study demonstrated the accumulation of biochemical and non-enzymatic antioxidants in dehydrated mats, which could be utilized to stabilize unfavorable environmental conditions. Additionally, the strain N. calcicola BOT1 holds promise as a biofertilizer for semi-arid regions.

Salinity-Induced Physiochemical Alterations to Enhance Lipid Content in Oleaginous Microalgae Scenedesmus sp. BHU1 via Two-Stage Cultivation for Biodiesel Feedstock

“…Furthermore, increased Y(NO) ( Figure 3 L) and decreased Y(NPQ), NPQ, and qN ( Figure 3 M,N,Q) indicate that greater amounts of absorbed energy flux were dissipated in PSII via nonregulated quenching mechanisms. The salt course reduction of NPQ reflects the thylakoid lumen acidification [ 57 ]. The decreased NPQ in stressed cultures suggests that it could not induce sufficient xantophyll cycle activation and ΔpH-dependent heat dissipation [ 57 ].…”

“…The salt course reduction of NPQ reflects the thylakoid lumen acidification [ 57 ]. The decreased NPQ in stressed cultures suggests that it could not induce sufficient xantophyll cycle activation and ΔpH-dependent heat dissipation [ 57 ]. In both stage-I and stage-II cultivations of the present study, Fv/Fm, Y(II), qP, qL, and ETRmax exhibited positive correlations with each other, while Y(NO) showed negative correlations with these parameters ( Figure S1A,B ).…”

Advancement of Abiotic Stresses for Microalgal Lipid Production and Its Bioprospecting into Sustainable Biofuels

“…In contrast, choosing the right microalgal species, optimizing cultivation conditions, and factors affecting microalgal lipid content are the primary requirements for optimum biofuel production. The accumulation of lipids and lipid content can be changed by changing the growth conditions [26]. Therefore, researchers are focusing on abiotic factors to improve microalgal biomass and lipid content.…”

Enhancing Biocrust Development and Plant Growth through Inoculation of Desiccation-Tolerant Cyanobacteria in Different Textured Soils

“…Despite the challenges of desiccation stress, many cyanobacteria have evolved adaptive strategies to survive and even thrive in arid environments. When cyanobacteria desiccate, their metabolic systems shut down and they become inactive [28,29]. However, they can quickly resume their activity when rehydrated by water from dew, rain, or tidal flow [30].…”