The Effect of Chromium on Photosynthesis and Lipid Accumulation in Two Chlorophyte Microalgae

Khawaja Muhammad Imran Bashir, Hyeon-Jun Lee, Sana Mansoor, Alexander Jahn and Man-Gi Cho
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Khawaja Muhammad Imran Bashir: German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan, Busan 46742, Korea
Hyeon-Jun Lee: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Busan Campus, Busan 46742, Korea
Sana Mansoor: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea
Alexander Jahn: German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan, Busan 46742, Korea
Man-Gi Cho: Department of Biotechnology, Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Heavy metals have adverse effects on microalgae metabolism and growth. Photosynthesis and lipid profile are quite sensitive to heavy metal toxicity. The impact of hexavalent chromium—Cr(VI) on photosynthesis and lipid accumulation in Mucidosphaerium pulchellum and Micractinium pusillum exposed to different concentrations (0–500 μg L −1 ) was investigated for 11 days. A significant ( p < 0.05) increase in lipid content was observed with increasing Cr(VI) concentration. However, growth was suppressed at higher concentrations exceeding 100 μg L −1 . Addition of Cr(VI) in the cell culture medium showed a negative effect on quantum yield ( F v /F m ), and a photosynthetic inhibition of >65% was noted in both species at 500 μg L −1 . However, the lipid gravimetric analysis presented inner cell lipid content up to 36% and 30% of dry weight biomass for M. pulchellum and M. pusillum, respectively. The fatty acids profiles of both microalgae species showed higher levels of hexadecenoic acid as well as ω3, ω6, and ω7 fatty acids. The effect of Cr(VI) on photosynthesis and lipid accumulation in both microalgae species was concentration and exposure time dependent. This shows that an appropriate concentration of Cr(VI) in culture medium could be beneficial for higher lipid accumulation in freshwater eukaryotic microalgae species.

Keywords: fatty acids; freshwater microalgae; growth kinetics; heavy metal; Micractinium pusillum; Mucidosphaerium pulchellum; photosynthesis; toxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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