MIXOTROPHIC CULTURE OF THE MICROALGAE Synechococcus nidulans USING FERMENTED EXTRACT OF CASHEW PULP WASTE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUNDS
Synechococcus nidulans; carotenoids, cashew apple, microalgae
The prospecting and search for new species and compounds present in microorganisms for applications in sustainable biotechnological processes have been growing in recent years. Among these microorganisms, microalgae stand out, which has attracted the interest of many researchers, since they appear as natural raw material for several commercial products, being able to meet shortly a portion of the global demand in the sectors of food, fuel, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and even cosmetics. In this context, the cultivation of microalgae has been researched, as these microorganisms are photoautotrophic, being able to convert light and CO2 into biomolecules with properties useful to society, producing bio-compounds with commercial interest, thus contributing to the development of the world's bio-economy.
Because they are permanently exposed to high levels of oxygen and radical stressors, microalgae have a high capacity for the production of protective compounds, and antioxidants, which are capable of neutralizing free radicals before their harmful physiological effects, such as carotenoids, tocopherols (vitamin E), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and phenolic compounds, a fact that has stimulated bioprospecting investigations of these compounds in different groups of organisms.
Two species of microalgae are already commercially used for the production of carotenoid antioxidants: Dunaliella salina, for the production of β-carotene, and Haematococcus pluvialis, for the production of astaxanthin used as additives in food and animal feed, in cosmetics and as food supplements. And, despite this evidence, the literature on the antioxidant capacity of microalgae is still scarce, making bioprospecting research in this regard important.
The cyanobacterium Synechococcus nidulans, division Cyanophyta, found mainly in marine aquatic environments, is a photosynthetic prokaryotic microalgae that can produce several bio-compounds, such as antioxidant compounds (beta-carotene, flavonoids, astaxanthin, lutein), cholesterol reducers and biopolymers.
The present study aims to evaluate the mixotrophic cultivation of the microalgae Synechococcus nidulans, with the addition of cashew apple pomace extract from the processing of fruit pulp, to produce more biomass at a low cost for the production of antioxidant compounds.