Chemical analysis of the biomass of a native strain of Spirulina subsalsa Oersted ex Gomont 1892 (Spirulinaceae) cultivated in low-cost saline medium

Abstract

Spirulina subsalsa, a filamentous cyanobacterium, was first described by Gomont in 1892. This microorganism has been subject to biotechnological evaluations, due to their high content of proteins and pigments. The objective of this study was to analyze the biochemical composition of the biomass of a native strain of S. subsalsa cultivated in low-cost saline medium and harvested in the exponential and stationary phases of growth. The highest protein contents (58.5%) were obtained in the exponential phase; while the highest amounts of carbohydrates (20%), lipids (19.7%), chlorophyll (51.6 μg/ml), total carotenoids (218,215 μg/ml), exopolysaccharides (7.30 ± 0.7 mg/ml) and phycocyanin (25.8 μg/ml) were accumulated in the stationary phase. Additionally, in the biomass of S. subsalsa, the presence of saponins and polyphenols was detected in both growth phases, whereas basic alkaloids and flavonoids were detected only in the stationary phase. This article concludes information on the potential future biotechnological applications of the cyanobacterium strain, S. subsalsa.