Comparison of artificial light photobioreactors and other production systems using Porphyridium cruentum

A new type of preparative photobioreactor for high quality production of microalgae is developed for hatchery-nursery of marine animals, as well as for fine chemicals extraction. Of modular conception, two artificial light photobioreactors in plastic and stainless steel are designed so as to provide strictly controlled conditions in an attempt to increase quality and diminish cost prices. They are assessed for production of Porphyridum cruentum and compared to conventional transparent tanks and solar photobioreactors. The concentration and productivity obtained are ten-fold higher than with hatchery tanks, which leads to a significant drop in cost price of biomass. Comparison is also made with a 10 m² solar photobioreactor operated in the south of France, for which biomass cost price is half that of 1.5 m² artificial light photobioreactor. Extrapolations erasing size discrepancy show that the cost price of the two technologies are not very different. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Outdoor continuous culture of Porphyridium cruentum in a tubular photobioreactor: quantitative analysis of the daily cyclic variation of culture parameters

The present work reports on the daily cyclic variation of oxygen generation rates, carbon consumption rates, photosynthetic activities, growth rates and biochemical composition of the biomass in a pilot plant continuous outdoor culture of the microalgae Porphyridium cruentum. A linear relationship between the external irradiance and the average irradiance inside the culture was found. In addition, the oxygen generation and carbon consumption rates were found to be a function of the average irradiance inside the culture. A reduction in photosynthetic activity of the cells at noon and recovery in the afternoon was also observed. Therefore, the cells showed a short-term response of parameters such as oxygen generation rate as well as carbon consumption rate with external and average irradiance; a model of photosynthesis rate considering photoinhibition is proposed. This model is a useful tool for the operation and scaleup of tubular photobioreactors, and can be used for determining CO₂ requirements of the system. The higher the photosynthesis rates, the lower the carbon losses, ranging from 25% at noon to 100% during the night. The growth rate showed a linear relationship with the daily mean average irradiance inside the culture with a long-term response. Likewise, a linear relationship among the oxygen generation rate and the growth rate was obtained. With respect to the biochemical composition of the biomass, the cells showed a long-term response of metabolic routes to mean daily culture conditions. During the illuminated period, energy was stored as carbohydrates and synthesis of proteins was low. During the night, the stored carbohydrates were consumed. The fatty acid dry weight (DW) content decreased during the daylight period, whereas the fatty acid profile, as total fatty acids, was a function of growth rate. A short-term variation of exopolysaccharides synthesis with solar irradiance was also observed, i.e. the higher the external irradiance the higher the excretion of exopolysaccharides as a protection against adverse culture conditions.     

Increased production of extracellular polysaccharide by Porphyridium cruentum immobilized in foam sheets

Large‐size plate bioreactors were used to compare the production of extracellular polysaccharide by the red microalga Porphyridium cruentum when grown in suspension and in a foam sheet. A well‐defined illuminated area and unidirectional light propagation allowed us to generate information that is better quantified when expressed in terms of illuminated area. This is essential for meaningful comparison of data, especially considering that for a well‐designed and managed bioreactor, the culture production rates are believed to be light limited. At the same level of illumination, the culture immobilized in foam showed double the production rate of extracellular polysaccharide compared with the culture in suspension. The saturation level of biomass density per unit of illuminated area was eight times higher for the immobilized culture compared with the culture in suspension. Despite the increased biomass density for the immobilized culture, an increase in the light level above the optimum found for the culture in suspension reduced the extracellular polysaccharide production, suggesting that the photoinhibition light level was surpassed.     

平板式光生物反应器中紫球藻培养条件的优化

研究了平板式光生物反应器中紫球藻(Porphyridium cruentumNaegeli)的培养条件,运用均匀设计法对光照强度、通气速率、装液量、接种密度以及pH等影响紫球藻生长的因素进行优化,获得了在平板式光生物反应器中培养紫球藻的最佳条件:光照强度10 000 lx、通气速率350 L.h-1、装液量6 L、藻细胞接种密度1.1×106mL-1、pH9.0。在最佳条件下藻体的生物量产率和生物量产量分别达到0.431 g.L-1.d-1和3.240 g.L-1,最大生长速率达0.652 g.L-1.d-1,胞外多糖含量高达0.665 g.L-1。另外,在培养过程中隔天补充培养液有利于紫球藻生物量的增加和胞外多糖的产生。     

紫球藻藻红蛋白的分离纯化及光谱学特性

采用4℃反复浸提、离心、硫酸铵沉淀、DEAE—Sepharose Fast Flow离子交换柱层析,从紫球藻（Porphyridium cruentum Naegeli）冻干粉中分离纯化藻红蛋白,分离纯度达到4．85,总收率51．9％;经羟基磷灰石柱层析纯化,藻红蛋白纯度达到5．10,总收率34．0％,聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳显示1条带。所分离纯化的藻红蛋白含有3个亚基（α、β、γ）,在可见光区545nm和560nm处有2个吸收峰,在498nm处有1个吸收肩峰。实验结果说明所分离纯化的藻红蛋白纯度符合要求。     

Active transport of CO2 by three species of marine microalgae

The occurrence of an active CO₂ transport system and of carbonic anhydrase (CA) has been investigated by mass spectrometry in the marine, unicellular rhodophyte Porphyridium cruentum (S.F. Gray) Naegeli and two marine chlorophytes Nannochloris atomus Butcher and Nannochloris maculata Butcher. Illumination of darkened cells incubated with 100 μM H¹³CO₃^? caused a rapid initial drop, followed by a slower decline in the extracellular CO₂ concentration. Addition of bovine CA to the medium raised the CO₂ concentration by restoring the HCO₃^?–CO₂ equilibrium, indicating that cells were taking up CO₂ and were maintaining the CO₂ concentration in the medium below its equilibrium value during photosynthesis. Darkening the cell suspensions caused a rapid increase in the extracellular CO₂ concentration in all three species, indicating that the cells had accumulated an internal pool of unfixed inorganic carbon. CA activity was detected by monitoring the rate of exchange of ¹⁸O from ¹³C¹⁸O₂ into water. Exchange of ¹⁸O was rapid in darkened cell suspensions, but was not inhibited by 500 μM acetazolamide, a membrane‐impermeable inhibitor of CA, indicating that external CA activity was not present in any of these species. In all three species, the rate of exchange was completely inhibited by 500 μM ethoxyzolamide, a membrane‐permeable CA‐inhibitor, showing that an intracellular CA was present. These results demonstrate that the three species are capable of CO₂ uptake by active transport for use as a carbon source for photosynthesis.     

紫球藻及其多糖抗菌性能初探

本文报道紫球藻提取液及其多糖溶液抗病原细菌、真菌性能的研究结果。采用管碟法分别测定紫球藻培养分泌物、藻体破碎后的水提物和醇提物、胞外多糖和胞内多糖水溶液等的抗菌能力。结果表明,各样品均有一定抗菌能力,紫球藻水提物和胞外分泌物抗菌性能较强。经比较分析,多糖是抗菌作用的主要组分。紫球藻提取物及其多糖对革兰氏阳性细菌(特别是对金黄色葡萄球菌和八叠球菌)的抑菌作用较为明显,具有一定开发价值。     

紫外线对紫球藻的生物学效应

采用紫外线辐照紫球藻,处理剂量分别为10s、20s、30s、60s、90s、120s和180s。结果表明,10s剂量对紫球藻有促长作用,20s及30s对藻细胞生长和各项生理生化指标影响不显著,30s以上处理对其生长以及代谢产物的合成与分泌有抑制作用,且照射时间越长,抑制越强烈,紫球藻对紫外线的耐受极限为120s。结果还表明,高剂量(20~90s)照射能增加单细胞代谢产物含量;经紫外线辐照后的藻细胞第二代培养物在生长速度、叶绿素a含量、胞外多糖和β-胡萝卜素产量等与对照组相似。     

紫球藻及其胞外多糖对小鼠免疫功能的调节作用

探讨紫球藻及其胞外多糖对免疫低下小鼠免疫功能的调节作用,用环磷酰胺(CY)建立昆明种小鼠免疫功能低下的实验模型。小鼠随机均分6组,其中2组每天分别给予紫球藻藻粉1200、600 mg/kg灌胃,2组给予紫球藻胞外多糖300、150 mg/kg灌胃,正常对照组及CY组用等容积生理盐水灌胃,连续14 d。实验结果表明紫球藻及其胞外多糖均可显著提高免疫抑制小鼠的脾指数、胸腺指数、碳廓清能力、单核细胞吞噬功能,并可对抗环磷酰胺引起的外周血白细胞数目下降,因此紫球藻藻粉及其胞外多糖对小鼠免疫功能具有一定的正向调节作用。毒性实验表明,小鼠腹腔注射300、150 mg/kg紫球藻胞外多糖溶液和分别给予紫球藻藻粉1200、600 mg/kg灌胃,小鼠未出现死亡,也未有明显毒性反应出现的一些指标变化,说明紫球藻藻粉及胞外多糖的安全性较高。