Mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella for local protein production using agro-food by-products. (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salati, Silvia; D'Imporzano, Giuliana; Menin, Barbara; Veronesi, Davide; Scaglia, Barbara; Abbruscato, Pamela; Mariani, Paola; Adani, Fabrizio
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 230(2017)
• Page Start: 82
• Page End: 89
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: By-products carbon -- Chlorella vulgaris -- Energy efficiency -- Mixotrophic -- Protein production; Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.01.030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Highlights: Agro-food wastes represent an interesting local carbon (C) source. Waste-carbon can be used enhancing microalgae production by mixotrophic approach. Cheese whey, wine lees and glycerol were used to produce Chlorella vulgaris . Mixotrophic enhanced microalgae production by 1.5–2 factor with respect to autotrophic. Algae composition suggests waste-C to be used producing local protein. Abstract: A local strain of Chlorella vulgaris was cultivated by using cheese whey (CW), white wine lees (WL) and glycerol (Gly), coming from local agro-industrial activities, as C sources (2.2 g C L −1 ) to support algae production under mixotrophic conditions in Lombardy. In continuous mode, Chlorella increased biomass production compared with autotrophic conditions by 1.5–2 times, with the best results obtained for the CW substrate, i.e. 0.52 g L −1 d −1 of algal biomass vs. 0.24 g L −1 d −1 of algal biomass for autotrophic conditions, and protein content for both conditions adopted close to 500 g kg −1 DM. Mixotrophic conditions gave a much higher energy recovery efficiency (EF) than autotrophic conditions, i.e. organic carbon energy efficiency (EFoc ) of 32% and total energy efficiency (Eft ) of 8%, respectively, suggesting the potential for the culture of algae as a sustainable practice to recover efficiently waste-C and a means of local protein production.