Search

Botryococcus braunii is a green colonial fresh water microalga and it is recognized as one of the renewable resources for production of liquid hydrocarbons. CFTRI-Bb-1 and CFTRI-Bb-2 have been reported for the first time and their performance with regard to growth and biochemical profile is presented here. The present study focused on effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) on biomass, hydrocarbon, carbohydrate production, fatty acid profile, and carotenoid content in various species of B. braunii (LB-572, SAG 30.81, MCRC-Bb, N-836, CFTRI-Bb-1, and CFTRI-Bb-2) at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (v/v) levels using a two-tier flask. CO2 at 2.0% (v/v) level enhanced growth of the organism, and a two-fold increase in biomass and carotenoid contents was observed in all the B. braunii strains studied compared with control culture (without CO2 supplementation). At 1% and 2% (v/v) CO2 concentrations, palmitic acid and oleic acid levels increased by 2.5 to 3 folds in one of the strains of B. braunii (LB-572). Hydrocarbon content was found to be above 20% at 2% CO2 level in the B. braunii LB-572, CFTRI-Bb-2, CFTRI-Bb-1, and N-836 strains, whereas it was less than 20% in the SAG 30.81 and MCRC-Bb strains compared with control culture. This culture methodology will provide information on CO2 requirement for growth of algae and metabolite production. B. braunii spp. can be grown at the tested levels of CO2 concentration without much influence on culture pH.

Botryococcus braunii is a green colonial microalga that is used mainly for the production of hydrocarbons, exopolysaccharides, and carotenoids. In the present study, the antioxidant properties of acetone extracts of B. braunii were evaluated using in vitro model systems such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxy radical scavenging, and lipid peroxidation in human low-density lipoprotein and rat tissues. Acetone extracts of B. braunii (equivalent to 10 ppm total carotenoid) exhibited 71 and 67% antioxidant activity in DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging model systems, respectively. Similarly, the extract also showed 72, 71, and 70% antioxidant activity in the liver, brain, and kidney of rats. Low-density lipoprotein oxidation induced by Cu2+ ions was also protected (22, 38, and 51%) by the algal extract in a dose-dependent manner (4, 6, and 8 ppm levels of total carotenoid). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration in the blood, liver, and kidney of rats was also significantly decreased in B. braunii treated samples compared with those of control. Carotenoids (violaxanthin, astaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, chlorophylls a and b, and alpha, beta-carotene) identified in the B. braunii acetone extract may be exhibiting antioxidant activity. Among the carotenoids, lutein represents more than 75% of the total carotenoids. B. braunii extract was shown to be effective for protecting biological systems against various oxidative stresses in vitro. This is the first report on the antioxidant properties of B. braunii.