<i>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae</i>: A Biorefinery for Health and Energy—Unleashing Phycocyanin’s Power and Biogas Potential

<i>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae</i>: A Biorefinery for Health and Energy—Unleashing Phycocyanin’s Power and Biogas Potential

This study presents a biorefinery approach for <i>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae</i>, demonstrating its potential as a dual source for phycocyanin and biogas. The antioxidant capacity of the extract was evaluated using the ABTS<sup>•+</sup> assay, while flow cytometry determined it...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pilar Águila-Carricondo, Raquel García-García, Juan Pablo de la Roche, Pedro Luis Galán, Luis Fernando Bautista, Juan J. Espada, Gemma Vicente
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Marine Drugs
Subjects:
<i>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae</i>
cyanobacteria
antioxidant
U-118 MG brain glioma cells
HCC1806 breast cancer cells
biomethane
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/6/225
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study presents a biorefinery approach for <i>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae</i>, demonstrating its potential as a dual source for phycocyanin and biogas. The antioxidant capacity of the extract was evaluated using the ABTS<sup>•+</sup> assay, while flow cytometry determined its cytotoxic effects on breast cancer (HCC1806) and brain glioma (U-118 MG) cell lines, comparing pure C-phycocyanin to the non-purified extract. The non-purified extract scavenged 77% of ABTS<sup>•+</sup> radicals at 2.4 mg/mL, compared to 22% for pure C-phycocyanin. In U-118 MG cells, pure C-phycocyanin accounted for 55.5% of the 29.9 ± 6.1% total mortality observed with the non-purified extract at 0.75 mg/mL. HCC1806 cytotoxicity (80.9 ± 5.1% at 1 mg/mL) was attributed to synergistic effects of other extract components. The spent biomass was valorized through anaerobic digestion for biogas production, enhancing process sustainability. At a 2:1 inoculum-to-substrate ratio, the anaerobic digestion of the spent biomass yielded 447 ± 18 mL CH<sub>4</sub>/gVS, significantly higher than the 351 ± 19 mL CH<sub>4</sub>/gVS from the initial biomass. LCA estimated the environmental impacts of the <i>A. flos-aquae</i> biorefinery for phycocyanin production, targeting the cosmetic, food, and nutraceutical sectors, and highlighting the benefits of spent biomass valorization to produce biogas within a circular economy framework. This integrated approach demonstrates the potential of <i>A. flos-aquae</i> for the sustainable production of high-value compounds and renewable energy.
ISSN:1660-3397

Similar Items