Influence of Silicate Concentrations on Growth, Carotenoid, and Fatty Acid Profiles of the Marine Diatom <i>Conticribra weissflogii</i>

Enhancing microalgal growth and bioactive compound production is becoming a duty for improving photosynthetic microorganisms. In this study, the growth, carotenoid, and fatty acid profiles of <i>Conticribra weissflogii</i> were studied under four different silicate concentrations and sil...

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Main Authors: David Kwame Amenorfenyo, Feng Li, Xiangyu Rui, Xianghu Huang, Changling Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Marine Drugs
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/22/11/504
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Summary:Enhancing microalgal growth and bioactive compound production is becoming a duty for improving photosynthetic microorganisms. In this study, the growth, carotenoid, and fatty acid profiles of <i>Conticribra weissflogii</i> were studied under four different silicate concentrations and silicate-deficient conditions in an f/2 medium with continuous aeration, light intensity (30 ± 2 µmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>), salinity (25 ± 2‰), pH (8), and temperature (25 ± 2 °C). At the end of the experiment, we observed that a silicate concentration of 120 mg L<sup>−1</sup> produced the maximum biomass dry weight (0.86 g L<sup>−1</sup>), carotenoid content (1.63 µg mL<sup>−1</sup>), and fucoxanthin content (1.23 mg g<sup>−1</sup>) in <i>C. weissflogii</i>. The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (11,354.37 µg g<sup>−1</sup>), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (2516.16 µg g<sup>−1</sup>), gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3n6) (533.51 µg g<sup>−1</sup>), and arachidonic acid (C20:4n6) (1261.83 µg g<sup>−1</sup>) contents were significantly higher at Si 120 mg L<sup>−1</sup>. The results further showed the maximum fatty acid content in <i>C. weissflogii</i> at Si 120 mg L<sup>−1</sup>. However, the silicate-deficient conditions (Si 0 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) resulted in higher levels of saturated fatty acids (38,038.62 µg g<sup>−1</sup>). This study presents a practical approach for the large-scale optimization of biomass, carotenoid, fucoxanthin, and fatty acid production in <i>C. weissflogii</i> for commercial purposes.
ISSN:1660-3397