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Citi V, Torre S, Flori L, Usai L, Aktay N, Dunford NT, Lutzu GA, Nieri P. Nutraceutical Features of the Phycobiliprotein C-Phycocyanin: Evidence from Arthrospira platensis ( Spirulina). Nutrients 2024; 16:1752. [PMID: 38892686 PMCID: PMC11174898 DOI: 10.3390/nu16111752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Arthrospira platensis, commonly known as Spirulina, is a photosynthetic filamentous cyanobacterium (blue-green microalga) that has been utilized as a food source since ancient times. More recently, it has gained significant popularity as a dietary supplement due to its rich content of micro- and macro-nutrients. Of particular interest is a water soluble phycobiliprotein derived from Spirulina known as phycocyanin C (C-PC), which stands out as the most abundant protein in this cyanobacterium. C-PC is a fluorescent protein, with its chromophore represented by the tetrapyrrole molecule phycocyanobilin B (PCB-B). While C-PC is commonly employed in food for its coloring properties, it also serves as the molecular basis for numerous nutraceutical features associated with Spirulina. Indeed, the comprehensive C-PC, and to some extent, the isolated PCB-B, has been linked to various health-promoting effects. These benefits encompass conditions triggered by oxidative stress, inflammation, and other pathological conditions. The present review focuses on the bio-pharmacological properties of these molecules, positioning them as promising agents for potential new applications in the expanding nutraceutical market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Citi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy; (S.T.); (L.F.)
| | - Serenella Torre
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy; (S.T.); (L.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Flori
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy; (S.T.); (L.F.)
| | - Luca Usai
- Teregroup Srl, Via David Livingstone 37, 41122 Modena, MO, Italy; (L.U.); (G.A.L.)
| | - Nazlim Aktay
- Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, Oklahoma State University, 103 FAPC, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; (N.A.); (N.T.D.)
| | - Nurhan Turgut Dunford
- Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, Oklahoma State University, 103 FAPC, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; (N.A.); (N.T.D.)
| | | | - Paola Nieri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy; (S.T.); (L.F.)
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Su H, Wang K, Lian J, Wang L, He Y, Li M, Han D, Hu Q. Advanced treatment and Resource recovery of brewery wastewater by Co-cultivation of filamentous microalga Tribonema aequale and autochthonous Bacteria. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119285. [PMID: 37862895 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
To use unicellular microalgae to remove waste nutrients from brewery wastewater while converting them into algal biomass has been explored but high-cost treatment and low-value biomass associated with current technologies have prevented this concept from further attempts. In this study, a filamentous microalga Tribonema aequale was introduced and the alga can grow vigorously in brewery wastewater and algal biomass concentration could be as high as 6.45 g L-1 which can be harvested by a cost-effective filtration method. The alga together with autochthonous bacteria removed majority of waste nutrients from brewery wastewater. Specifically, 85.39% total organic carbon (TOC), 79.53% total dissolved nitrogen (TN), 93.38% ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and 71.33% total dissolved phosphorus (TP) in brewery wastewater were rapidly removed by co-cultivation of T. aequale and autochthonous bacteria. Treated wastewater met the national wastewater discharge quality, and resulting algal biomass contained large amounts of high-value products chrysolaminarin, palmitoleic acid (PLA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). It is anticipated that reduced cost of algal harvesting coupled with value-added biomass could make T. aequale as a promising candidate for brewery wastewater treatment and resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Su
- College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kui Wang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Lian
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Center for Microalgal Biotechnology and Biofuels, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuqing He
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Li
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Danxiang Han
- Center for Microalgal Biotechnology and Biofuels, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Hu
- College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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Chen S, Li X, Ma X, Qing R, Chen Y, Zhou H, Yu Y, Li J, Tan Z. Lighting the way to sustainable development: Physiological response and light control strategy in microalgae-based wastewater treatment under illumination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166298. [PMID: 37591393 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals link pollutant control with carbon dioxide reduction. Toward the goal of pollutant and carbon reduction, microalgae-based wastewater treatment (MBWT), which can simultaneously remove pollutants and convert carbon dioxide into biomass with value-added metabolites, has attracted considerable attention. The photosynthetic organism microalgae and the photobioreactor are the functional body and the operational carrier of the MBWT system, respectively; thus, light conditions profoundly influence its performance. Therefore, this review takes the general rules of how light influences the performance of MBWT systems as a starting point to elaborate the light-influenced mechanisms in microalgae and the light control strategies for photobioreactors from the inside out. Wavelength, light intensity and photoperiod solely or interactively affect biomass accumulation, pollutant removal, and value-added metabolite production in MBWT. Physiological processes, including photosynthesis, photooxidative damage, light-regulated gene expression, and nutrient uptake, essentially explain the performance influence of MBWT and are instructive for specific microalgal strain improvement strategies. In addition, light causes unique reactions in MBWT systems as it interacts with components such as photooxidative damage enhancers present in types of wastewater. In order to provide guidance for photobioreactor design and light control in a large-scale MBWT system, wavelength transformation, light transmission, light source distribution, and light-dark cycle should be considered in addition to adjusting the light source characteristics. Finally, based on current research vacancies and challenges, future research orientation should focus on the improvement of microalgae and photobioreactor, as well as the integration of both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangxian Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Xin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Xinlei Ma
- School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Renwei Qing
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Yangwu Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Houzhen Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Yadan Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Junjie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Zhouliang Tan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Microalgae-Based Biorefineries: Challenges and Future Trends to Produce Carbohydrate Enriched Biomass, High-Added Value Products and Bioactive Compounds. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081146. [PMID: 36009773 PMCID: PMC9405046 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Microalgae-based biorefineries allow the simultaneous production of microalgae biomass enriched in a particular macromolecule and high-added and low-value products if a proper selection of the microalgae species and the cultivation conditions are adequate for the purpose. This review discusses the challenges and future trends related to microalgae-based biorefineries stressing the multi-product approach and the use of raw wastewater or pretreated wastewater to improve the cost-benefit ratio of biomass and products. Emphasis is given to the production of biomass enriched in carbohydrates. Microalgae-bioactive compounds as potential therapeutical and health promoters are also discussed. Future and novel trends following the circular economy strategy are also discussed. Abstract Microalgae have demonstrated a large potential in biotechnology as a source of various macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and high-added value products (pigments, poly-unsaturated fatty acids, peptides, exo-polysaccharides, etc.). The production of biomass at a large scale becomes more economically feasible when it is part of a biorefinery designed within the circular economy concept. Thus, the aim of this critical review is to highlight and discuss challenges and future trends related to the multi-product microalgae-based biorefineries, including both phototrophic and mixotrophic cultures treating wastewater and the recovery of biomass as a source of valuable macromolecules and high-added and low-value products (biofertilizers and biostimulants). The therapeutic properties of some microalgae-bioactive compounds are also discussed. Novel trends such as the screening of species for antimicrobial compounds, the production of bioplastics using wastewater, the circular economy strategy, and the need for more Life Cycle Assessment studies (LCA) are suggested as some of the future research lines.
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