Search

A simple, straightforward and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of (E)-3-(arylimino)indolin-2-one derivatives and (E)-2-((4-methoxyphenyl)imino)- acenaphthylen-1(2H)-one. The synthesis of these biologically-significant scaffolds was achieved from the reactions of various substituted anilines and isatins or acenaphthaquinone, respectively, using commercially available, environmentally benign and naturally occurring organic acids such as mandelic acid or itaconic acid as catalyst in aqueous medium at room temperature. Mild reaction conditions, energy efficiency, good to excellent yields, environmentally benign conditions, easy isolation of products, no need of column chromatographic separation and the reusability of reaction media are some of the significant features of the present protocol.

The present study investigates the interactive effect of important growth media components (organic carbon, nitrate, and phosphate) on Scenedesmus sp. Interestingly, simultaneous enhancement of energy storage components and biomass was observed. Six carbon sources taken into consideration in this study affected the microalgal growth profile distinctively. As compared to other studied organic carbon sources, the addition of glucose (5 g L−1) resulted in the highest total biomass (3.7 ± 0.2 g L−1). Further, the combination of 5 g L−1 glucose supplementation with phosphate and nitrate starvation fetched the highest total lipids (331.5 ± 29.4 µg mg−1 and 281.6 ± 9.4 µg mg−1, respectively). Additionally, phosphate starvation with 5 g L−1 glucose supplementation fetched the highest total fatty acid content (118.35 µg mg−1). Carbohydrate content was the highest (1025.5 ± 83.9 µg mg−1) at 5 g L−1 of glucose, 1.5 g L−1 of NaNO3, and 0.04 g L−1 of K2HPO4 without compromising biomass accumulation. Principal component analysis confirmed that carbohydrate and protein concentrations in the algal biomass were closely related to enhanced biomass and chlorophyll concentration and were heavily impacted by NaNO3 in the presence of high organic carbon. This study supported in fetching the nutrient combinations, which increased biomass with wide range of fuel, as well as non-fuel applications.

Microalgae have garnered much contemplation as candidates to fix CO

In today's era, we need to replace chemical or physical processes of nanoparticle synthesis with biosynthesis processes to avoid environmental damage. These bioderived nanoparticles can help in addressing the problems of wastewater treatment and biofuels production. This review gives an insight into solving multiple problems using a nano-biorefinery approach in conjugation with wastewater treatment. The major advantage of using a bio-derivative method in nanoparticle synthesis is its low toxicity towards the environment. The current review discusses the development of nanoscience and its biogenic importance. It covers the usage of microalgae for (A) Nanoparticle's biosynthesis (B) Mechanism of nanoparticle biosynthesis (C) Nanoparticles in bio-refinery processes (D) Wastewater treatment with microalgae and bio-derived nanoparticles (E) A hypothetical mechanistic approach, which utilizes the photothermal effect of metallic nanoparticles to extract lipids from the cells without cell damage. The term "cell milking" has been around for quite some time, and the hypothesis discussed in the present study can help in this context. The current hypothesized process can pave ways for futuristic endeavors to conjugate nanoparticles and microalgae for viable and commercial production of biofuel, nanoparticles, and many other molecules.

Microalgae have garnered much contemplation as candidates to fix CO2 into valuable compounds. Although microalgae have been studied to produce various metabolites, they have not yet proved successful for commercialization. Since, handling such problems practically requires satisfying multiple parameters simultaneously, we put forth a multi-parameter optimization strategy to manipulate the carbon metabolism of Scenedesmus sp. to improve biomass production and enhance CO2 fixation to increase the production of fuel-related metabolites. The Box-Behnken design method was applied with CO2 concentration, CO2 sparging time and glucose concentration as independent variables; biomass and total fatty acid methyl ester (total FAME) content were analyzed as response variables. The strain is supplemented with both CO2 and glucose with an aim to enhance carbon flux and rechannel it towards carbon fixation. As per the results obtained in this study, Scenedesmus sp. could effectively exploit high CO2 concentration (15%) for longer duration under high concentration of glucose supplementation (9 g/L) producing a biomass of 635.24 ± 39.9 μg/mL with a high total fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content of 71.29 ± 4.2 μg/mg, significant acetyl-CoA carboxylase enzyme activity and a favorable fatty acid profile: 35.8% palmitic acid, 10.5% linoleic acid and 30.6% linolenic acid. The carbohydrate content was maximum at 10% CO2 sparged for the longest duration of 90 min under glucose concentration of 9 g/L. This study puts forth an optimal design that can provide evidence on comprehending the carbon assimilation mechanism to enhance production of biomass and biofuels and provide conditions to microalgal species to tolerate CO2 rich flue gas.

In recent years, algal research revolves comprehensively in tapping the prospective of various approaches viz. energy sources and nutritional supplements. Researchers worldwide are exploring various aspects of microalgae as they attract the scientific community because of their various unique properties. It has been shown that changing the parameters for algae growth can stimulate these beautiful cells to form substances which are of high value. Biosynthesis of a number of compounds is governed through several enzymatic steps which are further influenced and controlled by the type and concentration of nutrient provided or present in the natural habitat that can act as rate-limiting factor. Algal omics has turned out to be the finest option in recent years for tapping algae as biofuel resource. Genomics and transcriptomics of algae have delivered decisive information to understand lipid biosynthesis. On the other hand, proteomics and metabolomics complement algal omics by offering accurate and useful understandings into the linked physiological settings. Although genomic study reveals many important parameters for various applications using algae, which can be further enhanced when complemented well with the techniques of proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and lipidomics. Combination of datasets from various lipid enhancement approaches can deliver a system-wide impression. These approaches permit closer consideration in the future with an opinion to different practical impacts that are projected in modern era.