BIOTECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF CHLOROPHYTES ISOLATED FROM CELESTINO GELSI DAM - TUCUMÁN

MALDONADO, G.E.; SGARIGLIA, M. A.; SOBERÓN, J.R.; BARRERA, L.M.; SAMPIETRO, D.A.

TAFI DEL VALLE

Congreso; XXXV JORNADAS DE LA ABT; 2018

ASOCIACION DE BIOLOGIA DE TUCUMAN

Microalgae are eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms present in all type water reservoirs, efficient in the fixation of CO2 and use of solar energy to produce biomass, which is composed of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and pigments. These characteristics aroused interest as feedstock for the production of pharmaceutical and food products. Phycological studies conducted in Tucuman reported a rich biodiversity of microalgae, whose biotechnological potential has not been determined yet. Objectives: to describe native microalgae species present in phytoplankton samples; to isolate cultivable ones under defined conditions and to determine population parameters from the growth curve of an isolated species. Sampling was carried out with phytoplankton net (30μm) at different places in the Celestino Gelsi dam. They were kept in BBM culture medium, 3000lux, photoperiod 12:12h, 24-26°C. Purification and isolation were performed combining liquid BBM and solid BBM culture techniques. One species was isolated and taxonomic keys were used for morphological analysis under optical microscope. The species isolated was Chlorella sp. The growth curve was determined by taking aliquots every 48 hours, for 21 days, from cultures (n = 3) in 150ml of liquid BBM under the above conditions. Its growth was estimated by counting in a Neubauer chamber and total chlorophyll concentration was determined. Cell density in the exponential phase was 3.29x106cells/mL, and growth rate 0.26 day-1. Scenedesmus, Chlamydomona and Monoraphidium, also identified in the samples, grew under the same conditions as Chlorella sp, but their isolation is still ongoing.