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Desalination concentrate (DC) is a potential medium for microalgal cultivation since it contains an abundance of mineral salts. In this study, the feasibility of growing Chlorella vulgaris with DC was evaluated and the influence of DC concentration on the growth, biomass productivity, and biochemical composition was assessed. Media comprised of DC mixed with bold basal medium (BBM) in different concentrations were prepared for microalga cultivation. A sequential statistical methodology, comprising fractional factorial design and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to enhance the biomass production. The growth of C. vulgaris was promoted with 75 % BBM + 25 % DC compared with the BBM control. C. vulgaris biomass production (0.59 g L−1) was observed with 75 % BBM + 25 % DC with optimal concentrations of sodium nitrate (0.09 g L−1), monobasic potassium phosphate (0.014 g L−1), and micronutrient solution (0.20 mL L−1). The gradual increase of DC had a strong effect on the biochemical composition of C. vulgaris. Carbohydrate fiber and protein contents were estimated to be 14.4 and 51.3 %, respectively, when the microalgae were cultivated in 75 % BBM + 25 % DC. The lipid content (12.5 %) of C. vulgaris cells was highest at the optimized BBM DC concentrations. When grown in the BBM control and optimized BBM + DC media, C. vulgaris produced lipids rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (C18:3 ω3) and monounsaturated fatty acids (C18:1). These results indicated that DC is a feasible alternative for the mass cultivation of C. vulgaris.

In this work, the structural, mechanical, diffractometric, and thermal parameters of chitosan-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) films plasticized with sorbitol were studied. Solutions of HPMC (2% w/v) in water and chitosan (2% w/v) in 2% acetic acid solution were prepared. The concentration of sorbitol used was 10% (w/w) to both polymers. This solutions were mixed at different proportions (100/0; 70/30; 50/50; 30/70, and 0/100) of chitosan and HPMC, respectively, and 20 mL was cast in Petri dishes for further analysis of dried films. The miscibility of polymers was assessed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results obtained indicate that the films are not fully miscible at a dry state despite the weak hydrogen bonding between the polymer functional groups. Neste trabalho, os parâmetros estruturais, mecânicos, difratométricos e térmicos de filmes de quitosana e hidroxipropilmetilcelulose (HPMC), plastificados com sorbitol, foram estudados. Soluções de HPMC (2% m/m) em água, e quitosana (2% m/m) em uma solução de ácido acético 2%, foram preparadas. A concentração de sorbitol usada foi de 10% (m/m) para ambos os polímeros. Estas soluções foram misturadas em diferentes proporções (100/0; 70/30; 50/50; 30/70 e 0/100) de quitosana e HPMC, respectivamente, e 20 mL foram vertidos em placas de Petri de poliestireno, para posterior análise dos filmes prontos. A miscibilidade dos polímeros foi avaliada através da Difração por Raio-X, Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura, Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial (DSC) e Análise Termogravimétrica (TGA). Através dos resultados obtidos, os filmes não são totalmente miscíveis no estado seco, embora existam ligações fracas de hidrogênio entre os grupos funcionais dos biopolímeros.