Evaluation of the technological potential of microalgae aiming its application in the energy, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors

• Grant number: 16/18909-3
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2016
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Patricia Caroline Molgero da Rós
• Grantee: Patricia Caroline Molgero da Rós
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Heizir Ferreira de Castro ; Larissa de Freitas ; Messias Borges Silva

Abstract

The present project has the objective of evaluate microalgae technological potential, aiming to increase the amount of their cell constituents (lipids, fatty acids and pigments) in order to employ these components to obtain products of industrial interest, encompassing energetic sector (biodiesel), food and feed sectors (PUFAs: poly-unsaturated fatty acids), cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This project's proposition is to work in two main fronts: i) using tubular and bubble column, LED lit, homemade photobioreactors, it will be evaluated the influence of the light wavelength, used during cultivation, over the production of the cell constituents of industrial interest; ii) using lipid feedstock of lower cost as a source of lipid for energy and food sectors. These two main work fronts may converge, at the project's final steps, in order to establish a technically feasible biotechnology production, allowing the integration between industrial processes and sustainability. Additionally to the already established microalgae cultivation to obtain energy and produce nutraceuticals, microalgae ability to produce pigments, such as carotenes and chlorophyll, has been another important topic of the recent researches. Regarding this aspect, the present project aims to optimize the cultivation conditions in order to enhance the microalgae pigment production, and also establish proper extraction and quantification methods for the pigments of interest. For biodiesel production, as the microbial oil has acid properties, making the use of basic catalyst unfeasible, the present studies will be focused on the employment of heterogeneous acid catalysts to promote the transesterification reaction. Relating to the PUFAs obtainment, there will be promoted lipid hydrolysis of the microalgal oil in order to obtain a concentrate of omega-3 and omega-6, essential fatty acids, for direct application in food and feed industry (nutraceutical functional foods). The presented proposal is in the context of the need to develop and improve new sustainable processes which can be economically competitive with the classical industry production. Furthermore, it will contribute to open new possibilities in the uses of microalgae biomass, as a new source, to produce high valuable products of industrial interest. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOLGERO DA ROS, PATRICIA CAROLINE; MENEZES, TALITHA KUHN; BREDDA, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; SILVA, MESSIAS BORGES; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR FERREIRA. Microalgae as a Feedstock for Sustainable Fatty Acids: Factorial Design Study. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, v. 43, n. 1, SI, SEP 2019. (16/10636-8, 17/04763-0, 16/18909-3)

BREDDA, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; DA SILVA, ANEIRSON FRANCISCO; SILVA, MESSIAS BORGES; MOLGERO DA ROS, PATRICIA CAROLINE. Mixture design as a potential tool in modeling the effect of light wavelength on Dunaliella salina cultivation: an alternative solution to increase microalgae lipid productivity for biodiesel production. PREPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 50, n. 4, DEC 2019. (16/18909-3)

MACHADO, SARA A.; DA ROS, PATRICIA C. M.; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR F.; GIORDANI, DOMINGOS S.. Hydrolysis of vegetable and microbial oils catalyzed by a solid preparation of castor bean lipase. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 37, OCT 2021. (16/10636-8, 16/18909-3)

ZORN, SAVIENNE M. F. E.; DA SILVA, ANA PAULA T.; BREDDA, EDUARDO H.; BENTO, HEITOR B. S.; PEDRO, GUILHERME A.; CARVALHO, ANA KARINE F.; SILVA, MESSIAS BORGES; DA ROS, PATRICIA C. M.. In Situ Transesterification of Microbial Biomass for Biolubricant Production Catalyzed by Heteropolyacid Supported on Niobium. ENERGIES, v. 15, n. 4, p. 12-pg., 2022-02-01. (16/10636-8, 16/18909-3, 18/01386-3, 20/15513-7)

DA SILVA, ANA PAULA T.; BREDDA, EDUARDO H.; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR F.; DA ROS, PATRICIA C. M.. Enzymatic catalysis: An environmentally friendly method to enhance the transesterification of microalgal oil with fusel oil for production of fatty acid esters with potential application as biolubricants. FUEL, v. 273, AUG 1 2020. (16/10636-8, 16/18909-3)

LOURES, CARLA C. A.; AMARAL, MATEUS S.; DA ROS, PATRICIA C. M.; ZORN, SAVIENNE M. F. E.; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR F.; SILVA, MESSIAS B.. Simultaneous esterification and transesterification of microbial oil from Chlorella minutissima by acid catalysis route: A comparison between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. FUEL, v. 211, p. 261-268, JAN 1 2018. (16/18909-3)

DA ROS, PATRICIA C. M.; PEREIRA, THALES A.; BARBOSA, FERNANDA G.; MARCELINO, PAULO R. F.; DA SILVA, SILVIO S.. An Environmentally Friendly Biosurfactant to Enhance the Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Production of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids with Potential Application as Nutraceutical. CATALYSIS LETTERS, v. N/A, p. 10-pg., 2023-03-10. (16/10636-8, 16/18909-3)

MOLGERO DA ROS, PATRICIA CAROLINE; MENEZES, TALITHA KUHN; BREDDA, EDUARDO HENRIQUE; SILVA, MESSIAS BORGES; DE CASTRO, HEIZIR FERREIRA. Microalgae as a Feedstock for Sustainable Fatty Acids: Factorial Design Study. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, v. 43, n. 1, p. 7-pg., 2019-09-30. (17/04763-0, 16/10636-8, 16/18909-3)