Co-Producing Phycocyanin and Bioplastic in Arthrospira platensis Using Carbon-Rich Wastewater

Hajar Shayesteh; Damian W Laird; Leonie J Hughes; Mohammad A Nematollahi; Amin Mirshamsi Kakhki; Navid R Moheimani

doi:10.3390/biotech12030049

Co-Producing Phycocyanin and Bioplastic in Arthrospira platensis Using Carbon-Rich Wastewater

BioTech (Basel). 2023 Jul 3;12(3):49. doi: 10.3390/biotech12030049.

Authors

Hajar Shayesteh^{1

2}, Damian W Laird¹, Leonie J Hughes³, Mohammad A Nematollahi⁴, Amin Mirshamsi Kakhki², Navid R Moheimani¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Water, Energy and Waste, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Australia.
² Department of Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 91779-48978, Iran.
³ School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Australia.
⁴ Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj Campus, Tehran 77871-31587, Iran.

Abstract

Microalgae can treat waste streams containing elevated levels of organic carbon and nitrogen. This process can be economically attractive if high value products are created simultaneously from the relatively low-cost waste stream. Co-production of two high value microalgal products, phycocyanin and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), was investigated using non-axenic Arthrospira platensis MUR126 and supplemental organic carbon (acetate, oxalate, glycerol and combinations). All supplemented cultures had higher biomass yield (g/L) than photoautotrophic control. All cultures produced PHB (3.6-7.8% w/w), except the control and those fed oxalate. Supplemented cultures showed a two to three-fold increase in phycocyanin content over the eight-day cultivation. Results indicate co-production of phycocyanin and PHB is possible in A. platensis, using mixed-waste organic carbon. However, supplementation resulted in growth of extremophile bacteria, particularly in cultures fed glycerol, and this had a negative impact on culture health. Refinement of the carbon dosing rate is required to minimise impacts of native bacterial contamination.

Keywords: Arthrospira platensis; bioplastic; bioremediation; phycocyanin; waste organic carbon.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (six-month Sabbatical Leave Award to H. Shayesteh, grant number 3/43139), the University of Tehran, Iran (one-year Sabbatical Leave Award to M.A. Nematollahi, grant number: 5322463) and Murdoch University, Australia (School of Engineering and Information Technology Small & Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Grant). No funding source had a role in any of the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; writing of the report or decision to submit the article for publication.