Maria Elena M. Neyra-Tanabe
University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines
Title: Freshwater Microalgae from Ligawasan Marsh, Philippines and Their Potenttial for Biomass Production
Biography
Biography: Maria Elena M. Neyra-Tanabe
Abstract
Indigenous species of microalgae were isolated from Ligawasan Marsh in the Philippines to assess potential biotechnological applications. Thirteen species were identified namely: Anabaena sp., Chorella species A and B, Closterium sp., Navicula capitata, Navicula protractoides, Gomphonema sp., Oedigonium sp., Oscillatoria sp., Trachelomonas sp., Selenastrum sp., Chlamydomonas sp., and Spirogya sp. Chlorella, Chlamydomonas, Spirogya, and Navicula were the only species being identified to be considered potent for biomass production. Chlorella had the highest frquency occurence and relative abundance hence it was selected for further characterization. Based on morphological characterization, there were two distinct species of Chlorella. Chlorella A was round and has a cresent-shaped chloroplast while Chlorella B was elliptical and had visible pyrenoid inside. They were then subjected to proximate, phytochemical, and cytotoxicity analyses. Based on the results, Chlorella A had a crude fat of 0.55%, moisture of 11.64%, and crude protein of 12.50% while Chorella B had a crude fat of 0.95%, moisture of 12.64%, and crude protein of 25.81%. Phytochemical analyses indicated that both species contain alkaloids, tannins, and flavanoids. However, saponins were only detected in Chlorella B. Anthraquinone was absent from both species. Cytotoxicity analyses revealed that both species were non-toxic and safe for human and animal consumption. These results indicate that Chlorella A and B are potential as an alternative source of animal feed and/or natural products. Thus, it is recommended that further analyses of other bioactive components and optimization for mass cultivation be conducted .