Efficient cultivation and scale-up of marine microalgae Fistulifera peliculosa and Nannochloropsis oculata for sustainable aquaculture applications

IF 5.5 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Chemical Engineering Journal Advances Pub Date : 2025-02-14 DOI:10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100720

Ashfaq Ahmad , Syed Salman Ashraf

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Abstract

This study investigates the aquacultural potential of marine microalgae strains F. peliculosa and N. oculata, which are renowned for their high protein, lipid, carotenoid, and carbohydrate contents. Microalgae are emerging as promising alternatives or supplements to traditional fish meal and fish oils because of their ability to provide sustainable and nutrient-rich resources for aquaculture. However, challenges, such as optimizing large-scale cultivation and culture medium composition, need to be addressed to realize their full potential. This study estimated the effects of various cultivation media (Conway, F/2, and TMRL) on microalgae cultivation from a laboratory to an upscale cultivation using an optimized medium and conditions. Brown marine strain F. peliculosa achieved the maximum cell density of 29.04 × 10⁶ cells/mL and maximum biomass production of 1.26 g/L in a 6 L NANO photobioreactor and 25.65 × 10⁶ cells/mL and 1.06 g/L in a 20 L tank using an optimized Conway medium. Conversely, the green marine strain N. oculata reached a maximum cell density of 80.82 × 10⁶ cells mL^-1 and maximum biomass production of 1.35 g/L in the NANO photobioreactor and 77.61 × 10⁶ cells/mL and maximum biomass production of 1.24 g/L in the 20 L tank with the optimum F/2 media composition. The highest lipid, protein, and carbohydrate content in F. peliculosa was 21.63 %, 18.76 %, and 11.13 %, respectively. For N. oculata, these values were 17.76 %, 32.23 %, and 12.76 %, respectively, in the F/2 media. Cultivation experiments demonstrated that F. peliculosa and N. oculata exhibited robust biomass productivity and nutrient profiles, underscoring their feasibility as sustainable inputs in aqua-fired formulations. These findings underscore the importance of these microalgal strains in promoting eco-friendly aquaculture practices and decreasing the dependence on overexploited marine resources.

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