The Green Microalga Coelastrella thermophila var. globulina (Scenedesmaceae, Chlorophyta) Isolated from an Algerian Hot Spring as a Potential Source of Fatty Acids

Indigenous microalgae strains characterization for a sustainable biodiesel production

Microalgae have been widely recognized as a promising feedstock for sustainable biofuels production to tackle global warming and pollution issues related to fossil fuels uses. This study identified and analyzed indigenous microalgae strains for biodiesel production, specifically Chlorella vulgaris and Coelastrella thermophila var. globulina, from two distinct locations in Algeria. Molecular identification confirmed their identity, and the microalgae exhibited notable growth characteristics. Local Chlorella vulgaris and Coelastrella thermophila var. globulina showed good growth and high biomass yield, compared to Chlorella vulgaris CCAP211/11B reaching a weight of 1.48 g L-1 , 1.95 g L-1 , and 2.10 g L-1 , respectively. Lipids content of local Chlorella vulgaris, Coelastrella thermophila var. globulina, and Chlorella vulgaris CCAP211/11B, were found to be 31.39 ± 3.3%, 17 ± 2.26%, and 19 ± 0.64%, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris stood out as a candidate for biodiesel production due to its equilibrium between SFA and PUFA (43.24% and 45.27%). FAs are predominated by SFA and MUFA for Coelastrella thermophila var. globulina with value of 81.49% (SFA+MUFA). Predicted biodiesel qualities comply with ASTM6751 and EN14214 standards. Studied microalgae have therefore a promising potential for biodiesel production. However, optimising cultivation conditions is necessary to enhance biomass and lipids yield at a large scale.

Microalga Coelastrella sp. Cultivation on Unhydrolyzed Molasses-Based Medium towards the Optimization of Conditions for Growth and Biomass Production under Mixotrophic Cultivation

Improving biomass production with the utilization of low-cost substrate is a crucial approach to overcome the hindrance of high cost in developing large-scale microalgae production. The microalga Coelastrella sp. KKU-P1 was mixotrophically cultivated using unhydrolyzed molasses as a carbon source, with the key environmental conditions being varied in order to maximize biomass production. The batch cultivation in flasks achieved the highest biomass production of 3.81 g/L, under an initial pH 5.0, a substrate to inoculum ratio of 100:3, an initial total sugar concentration of 10 g/L, and a sodium nitrate concentration of 1.5 g/L with continuous light illumination at 23.7 W/m². The photobioreactor cultivation results indicated that CO₂ supplementation did not improve biomass production. An ambient concentration of CO₂ was sufficient to promote the mixotrophic growth of the microalga as indicated by the highest biomass production of 4.28 g/L with 33.91% protein, 46.71% carbohydrate, and 15.10% lipid. The results of the biochemical composition analysis suggest that the microalgal biomass obtained is promising as a source of essential amino acids and pigments as well as saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. This research highlights the potential for bioresource production via microalgal mixotrophic cultivation using untreated molasses as a low-cost raw material.