Abstract

ROMERO MAZA, Lolymar et al. Contents of lipid, fatty acids, exopolysaccharides and minerals of Arthrospira maxima cultivated in photobioreactors. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2011, vol.61, n.3-4, pp.231-240. ISSN 0002-192X.

Arthrospira maxima (UTEX) was cultivated in batch mode under controlled environmental conditions in helical and cylindrical photobioreactors for 30 days in Zarrouk medium. Population growth, analyzed through the determination of dry biomass was higher in the helical photobioreactor (1.37 mg ml-1). The highest content of exopolysaccharides was found in the helical photobioreactor at 12 days of culture. In both culture systems we detected saponins, unsaturated sterols and alkaloids. The average content of total lipids obtained in the helical photobioreactor (6.05 ± 0.012%) showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) with those determined in the cylindrical photobioreactor (5.76 ± 0.038%). Palmitic acid was the fatty acid was found in greater proportion (helical bioreactor = 43.84 ± 0.922%; cilindrical photobioreactor = 44.87 ± 3.094%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids found in greatest proportion were 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-6, which showed concentrations of 16-18%, with similar concentrations in both culture systems. This investigation demonstrated that the cultivation of A. maxima in both photobioreactors allows the production of biomass with high content of total lipids and fatty acids, plus minerals and important chemical compound for medical, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Keywords : Arthrospira maxima; cyanobacterium; photobioreactor.

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