Synergistic Interaction of Spirulina Sp. and Folic Acid-Producing Bacteria for Folate Production

Abstract

Folate, an essential nutrient crucial for DNA synthesis, cell division, and fetal neural tube development, remains a global health concern due to deficiencies in certain populations. To address this issue, we investigated the synergistic interaction between Spirulina, a nutrient-rich microalga, and two strains of folic acid-producing bacteria, Bacillus subtilis-1 and Bacillus subtilis-2, to enhance folate production. Spirulina has high nutritional content, combined with the folate production capabilities of the selected bacteria, offered a promising opportunity for sustainable folate synthesis. In this study, Spirulina and the two strains of Bacillus subtilis were cultured separately to optimize growth conditions for each organism. Co-culture experiments were then conducted, combining Spirulina with Bacillus subtilis-1 and also Bacillus subtilis-2, to investigate their collective potential for folate production. The specific growth rates of both Spirulina and the bacteria were measured individually and in combination using spectrophotometric methods, and their dry weights were determined to assess biomass productivity. Folate quantification in the microalgal-bacterial cultures was performed using a spectrophotometric analysis based on the phosphate buffer extraction method. This method facilitated the measurement of folate content investigated the impact of the symbiotic relationship between Spirulina and bacteria, particularly in terms of enhancing vitamin B12 acquisition and its impact on folate synthesis. Our results revealed a synergistic enhancement.