Argos Cement (Colombia)

The alarming levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) are an environmental problem that affects the economic growth of the world. CO2 emissions represent penalties and restrictions due to the high carbon footprint. Therefore, sustainable strategies are required to reduce the negative impact that occurs. Among the potential systems for CO2 capture are microalgae. These are defined as photosynthetic microorganisms that use CO2 and sunlight to obtain oxygen (O2) and generate value-added products such as biofuels, among others. Despite the advantages that microalgae may present, there are still technical–economic challenges that limit industrial-scale commercialization and the use of biomass in the production of added-value compounds. Therefore, this study reviews the current state of research on CO2 capture with microalgae, for which bibliometric analysis was used to establish the trends of the subject in terms of scientometric parameters. Technological advances in the use of microalgal biomass were also identified. Additionally, it was possible to establish the different cooperation networks between countries, which showed interactions in the search to reduce CO2 concentrations through microalgae.

Abstract Microalgae as Haematococcus pluvialis produce lipid metabolites of great interest for different industries as the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, among other. Currently, one of the main limitations for the massive commercialization of these metabolites are the low yields between cell growth and the production of lipid metabolites. Thus, a better understanding of culture parameters that allow to get a balance between both variables is needed. Herein we evaluated the effect of Bold’s Basal Medium (BBM) on the production of lipid metabolites of high biotechnological value in Haematococcus pluvialis UTEX 2505. A factorial experimental design of 32 was used whereby the concentrations of the nitrogen and phosphorus source (0.2, 0.6 and 1.0 g / l) in the BBM culture medium were varied. Cell growth was measured, showed the highest concentration (1.148±0.842 g/l) for the treatment with the highest nitrate and phosphate content (a concentration of 1.0 g/l for both). The Astaxanthin content showed a maximum value of 76.22 ± 3.02 µg/mL for treatment with low nitrate (0.2 g/L) and medium phosphate (0.6 g/L). The antioxidant capacity was determined by the ORAC method, achieving superior values to those found in the literature for compounds such as vitamins E and C. The results suggested that low concentrations of nutrients, nitrate and phosphate have a positive effect on the concentration of lipid metabolites and affirm that the biomass of H. pluvialis UTEX 2505 is an excellent source of antioxidants and rich in essential fatty acids for human nutrition.