Growth and Biochemical Composition of <i>Porphyridium</i> <i>purpureum</i> SCS-02 under Different Nitrogen Concentrations

oleh: Tao Li, Jin Xu, Houbo Wu, Peiliang Jiang, Zishuo Chen, Wenzhou Xiang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2019-02-01

Deskripsi

Microalgae of the genus <i>Porphyridium</i> show great potential for large-scale commercial cultivation, as they accumulate large quantities of B-phycoerythrin (B-PE), long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and exopolysaccharide (EPS). The present study aimed to adjust culture nitrogen concentrations to produce <i>Porphyridium</i> biomass rich in B-PE, LC-PUFAs and EPS. <i>Porphyridium purpureum</i> SCS-02 was cultured in ASW culture medium with low nitrogen supply (LN, 3.5 mM), medium nitrogen supply (MN, 5.9 mM) or high nitrogen supply (HN, 17.6 mM). HN significantly enhanced the accumulation of biomass, intracellular protein, B-PE and eicosapentaenoic acid. LN increased the intracellular carbohydrate and arachidonic acid content, and promoted the secretion of EPS. The total lipids content was almost unaffected by nitrogen concentration. Based on these results, a semi-continuous two-step process was proposed, which included the production of biomass rich in B-PE and LC-PUFAs with sufficient nitrogen, and induced EPS excretion with limited nitrogen and strong light.