Ecological Assessment and Molecular Characterization of Spirulina in Freshwater Reservoirs of Kohat, Pakistan

Maha Rehman, Sascha Wetters, Peter Nick, Muhammad Jamil, Muhammad Arslan () and Rehan Naeem ()
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Maha Rehman: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
Sascha Wetters: Department of Botany, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Peter Nick: Department of Botany, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Muhammad Jamil: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
Muhammad Arslan: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Rehan Naeem: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: This pioneering study uniquely identifies and characterizes the presence of algal species, mainly Spirulina , from water reservoirs in the Kohat district of Pakistan, a previously unstudied region for microalgae dynamics. Conducted over one year, from July 2022 to June 2023, the study examined 156 samples from 26 freshwater bodies in Kohat. Only one sample from Usterzai (pH 8.6 ± 0.08, TDSs 313 ± 0.81 mg/L, DO 4.50 ± 0.05 mg/L, EC 540 ± 0.81 µS/cm) contained Spirulina sp., highlighting its rarity and specific environmental preferences. The other 155 samples, with varying parameters, contained different microalgae. Microscopic analysis further confirmed the presence of Spirulina in only one sample. The morphological and molecular analyses of the isolated Spirulina culture showed variability within the population, with phylogenetic analysis illuminating closer relationship with Arthrospira platensis . While multivariate analyses identified key environmental parameters influencing algal species distribution, the selective presence of Spirulina was found less relevant, which requires further investigation in terms of nutrient availability, microbial interactions, or subtle variations in water chemistry for ecological preferences and adaptations.

Keywords: Spirulina isolation; phylogenetic analysis; Kohat water reservoirs; 16S rRNA sequencing; microbiological species identification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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