Phormidium sp. ETS-05: Growth and production of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules
Production of high-value compounds by the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. ETS-05 has been investigated by researchers in collaboration with the Department of Biology of the University of Padova. This species is particularly relevant for its abundance during the maturation process and for the production of several antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules.
The study has focused on optimal conditions for the growth of the organism considering the light spectrum (that is, the colour of the light), the light intensity, temperature, and nutrient availability. For each of the conditions assessed, the synthesis and release of molecules of interest by the species have been considered: exopolysaccharides (EPS), phycocyanin (a blue pigment), chlorophyll, and carotenoids.
The results, summarized in the scheme, regarded:
- The growth of the species, reported as: (+) better growth; (-) worse growth; (=) similar growth,
- The production of EPS
- The production of phycocyanin
In particular, 45 °C was found to be the optimal temperature for the growth of the organism, and this temperature is within the suggested range of temperatures used for the maturation of the mud. Moreover, at 45 °C there is a higher EPS production.
As for the light, a fundamental source of energy for Phormidium being a photosynthetic organism, no differences in growth were observed according to the spectra used. Only when cultivated under blue light spectrum, growth of Phormidium is limited. Light spectra do not influence the production of EPS and the other molecules considered. The optimal light intensity for the growth of the species corresponded to an intermediate one: more phycocyanin is produced at lower light intensities, while more EPS are released at higher light intensities.
Knowing the responses of Phormidium to the parameters tested allows one to increase the productivity of the specific high-value molecule that is needed.
Full article “Assessment of optimal growth conditions for biomass and exopolysaccharides production in the thermotolerant cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. ETS – 05”, published in the international journal “Journal of Applied Phycology” is available here.