Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey
Large-scale cultivation of cyanobacteria is often limited by the high cost of synthetic culture medium and the environmental impact of nutrient consumption. Cheese whey, a major agro-industrial waste product, is rich in organic and inorganic nutrients, making it a promising low-cost alternative for...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Eirini Sventzouri Konstantinos Pispas Georgia G. Kournoutou Maria Geroulia Eleni Giakoumatou Sameh Samir Ali Michael Kornaros |
| author_facet | Eirini Sventzouri Konstantinos Pispas Georgia G. Kournoutou Maria Geroulia Eleni Giakoumatou Sameh Samir Ali Michael Kornaros |
| author_sort | Eirini Sventzouri |
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| description | Large-scale cultivation of cyanobacteria is often limited by the high cost of synthetic culture medium and the environmental impact of nutrient consumption. Cheese whey, a major agro-industrial waste product, is rich in organic and inorganic nutrients, making it a promising low-cost alternative for microbial growth while addressing waste bioremediation. This study investigates the growth performance and the biochemical composition of four different cyanobacterial species (<i>Phormidium</i> sp., <i>Synechocystis</i> sp., <i>Chlorogloeopsis fritschii,</i> and <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>), cultivated in cheese whey (CW). Pretreated CW was used at 20% and 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> concentrations. All species grew satisfactorily in both concentrations, reaching biomass above 4 g L<sup>−1</sup> (in 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW) and 2 g L<sup>−1</sup> (in 20% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW). The highest μ<sub>max</sub> value (0.28 ± 0.02 d<sup>−1</sup>) was presented by <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. grown in 20% CW. Waste bioremediation of both 20 and 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW demonstrated effective nutrient removal, with COD removal exceeding 50% for most species, while total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removals reached up to 33% and 32%, respectively. Biochemical composition analysis revealed high carbohydrate and protein content, while lipid content remained below 15% in all cases. Interestingly, <i>C. fritschii</i> accumulated 11% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) during the last day of cultivation in 20% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW. These findings highlight the potential of <i>C. fritschii</i> as a valuable candidate for integration into bioprocesses aimed at sustainable bioplastic production. Its ability to synthesize PHAs from agro-industrial waste not only enhances the economic viability of the process but also aligns with circular economy principles. This study is a primary step towards establishing a biorefinery concept for the cultivation of cyanobacterial species in cheese whey-based wastewater streams. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-70f207c3a49f453cb6e51b1998e777ba |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-70f207c3a49f453cb6e51b1998e777ba2025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-05-01135115710.3390/microorganisms13051157Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese WheyEirini Sventzouri0Konstantinos Pispas1Georgia G. Kournoutou2Maria Geroulia3Eleni Giakoumatou4Sameh Samir Ali5Michael Kornaros6Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceBotany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, EgyptLaboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLarge-scale cultivation of cyanobacteria is often limited by the high cost of synthetic culture medium and the environmental impact of nutrient consumption. Cheese whey, a major agro-industrial waste product, is rich in organic and inorganic nutrients, making it a promising low-cost alternative for microbial growth while addressing waste bioremediation. This study investigates the growth performance and the biochemical composition of four different cyanobacterial species (<i>Phormidium</i> sp., <i>Synechocystis</i> sp., <i>Chlorogloeopsis fritschii,</i> and <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>), cultivated in cheese whey (CW). Pretreated CW was used at 20% and 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> concentrations. All species grew satisfactorily in both concentrations, reaching biomass above 4 g L<sup>−1</sup> (in 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW) and 2 g L<sup>−1</sup> (in 20% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW). The highest μ<sub>max</sub> value (0.28 ± 0.02 d<sup>−1</sup>) was presented by <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. grown in 20% CW. Waste bioremediation of both 20 and 100% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW demonstrated effective nutrient removal, with COD removal exceeding 50% for most species, while total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removals reached up to 33% and 32%, respectively. Biochemical composition analysis revealed high carbohydrate and protein content, while lipid content remained below 15% in all cases. Interestingly, <i>C. fritschii</i> accumulated 11% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i> polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) during the last day of cultivation in 20% <i>v</i>/<i>v</i> CW. These findings highlight the potential of <i>C. fritschii</i> as a valuable candidate for integration into bioprocesses aimed at sustainable bioplastic production. Its ability to synthesize PHAs from agro-industrial waste not only enhances the economic viability of the process but also aligns with circular economy principles. This study is a primary step towards establishing a biorefinery concept for the cultivation of cyanobacterial species in cheese whey-based wastewater streams.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1157cheese wheycyanobacteriapigmentsphycocyaninwastewater bioremediationfatty acid methyl esters |
| spellingShingle | Eirini Sventzouri Konstantinos Pispas Georgia G. Kournoutou Maria Geroulia Eleni Giakoumatou Sameh Samir Ali Michael Kornaros Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey Microorganisms cheese whey cyanobacteria pigments phycocyanin wastewater bioremediation fatty acid methyl esters |
| title | Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey |
| title_full | Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey |
| title_short | Evaluation of Growth Performance, Biochemical Composition, and Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production of Four Cyanobacterial Species Grown in Cheese Whey |
| title_sort | evaluation of growth performance biochemical composition and polyhydroxyalkanoates production of four cyanobacterial species grown in cheese whey |
| topic | cheese whey cyanobacteria pigments phycocyanin wastewater bioremediation fatty acid methyl esters |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1157 |
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