Effects of different culture media on physiological features and laboratory scale production cost of Dunaliella salina

Guilherme Augusto Colusse; Carlos Rafael Borges Mendes; Maria Eugênia Rabello Duarte; Julio Cesar de Carvalho; Miguel Daniel Noseda

doi:10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00508

Effects of different culture media on physiological features and laboratory scale production cost of Dunaliella salina

Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2020 Jul 24:27:e00508. doi: 10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00508. eCollection 2020 Sep.

Authors

Guilherme Augusto Colusse^{1

2}, Carlos Rafael Borges Mendes³, Maria Eugênia Rabello Duarte², Julio Cesar de Carvalho⁴, Miguel Daniel Noseda²

Affiliations

¹ Postgraduate Program in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, CEP 81531-990, PO BOX 19011, Curitiba, Brazil.
² Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, CEP 81531-980, PO BOX 19046, Curitiba, Brazil.
³ Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande, Av. Itália, Km 8, CEP 96203-900, Rio Grande, Brazil.
⁴ Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, CEP 81531-990, PO BOX 19011, Curitiba, Brazil.

Abstract

Microalgal cultivation system depends on optimal parameters obtained from laboratory conditions to overcome high-value compounds production and decrease cost. In this study, the laboratory-scale cultivation of Dunaliella salina was performed to explore the cost and biochemical effects on biomass cultivated using F/2, Conway, and Johnson media. D. salina cultivation was monitored by cell counting, dry biomass measurements and biochemical analyses. Photosynthetic pigment profiles were identified and quantified through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) whereas economic evaluation was based on media cost. Cellular growth parameters were significantly improved by Conway medium, whereas maximum accumulation of pigments, especially violaxanthin (0.855 mg g^-1) and chlorophyll a (14.255 mg g^-1) were observed when Johnson medium was used. Conway-biomass showed 43 % of total lipid content. This value represents 1.5 and 1.4 times higher than lipid content found in Johnson- and F/2-biomass, respectively. Furthermore, media cost presented a variation of US$1.17-49.62 for each 10³ L of media mainly due to NaNO₃, KNO_3, and cyanocobalamin supplementation. Thus, biomass production showed a cost variation of US$4.64-301.61 per kg on a dry weight basis. These outcomes emphasize the suitability of laboratory parameters and cost comparison among biomass produced by different media.

Keywords: Biomass production; Culture medium; Economic analysis; Microalgae; Photosynthetic pigments; Vegetative phase.