University of Groningen
Photopigments and functional carbohydrates from Cyanidiales Delicia Yunita Rahman, D.
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Publication date: 2018
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Delicia Yunita Rahman, D. (2018). Photopigments and functional carbohydrates from Cyanidiales. University of Groningen.
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Photopigments and functional
carbohydrates from Cyanidiales
Cover design: Natasha Witto Printed by: Ipskamp Printing
ISBN: 978-94-034-0710-4
ISBN: 978-94-034-0709-8 (electronic version)
The work described in this thesis was performed in the research group of Aquatic Biotechnology and Bioproduct Engineering of the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG) in the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and the Research Center for Biotechnology of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia. This work was financially supported by a Ubbo Emmius scholarship.
Photopigments and functional
carbohydrates from Cyanidiales
PhD Thesis
to obtain the degree of PhD at the
University of Groningen
on the authority of the
Rector Magnificus, Prof. Dr. E. Sterken
and in accordance with
the decision by the College of Deans
This thesis will be defended in public on
Monday 9 July 2018 at 16.15 hours
by
Delicia Yunita Rahman
Supervisors
Prof. M.J.E.C van der Maarel Prof. G.J.W. Euverink
Co-supervisor
Dr. Dwi Susilaningsih, M.Pharm
Assessment committee
Prof. F. Picchioni
Prof. K.R. Timmermans Prof. M. Eppink
Table of Contents
Preface
... 1
Chapter 1
Introduction ... 3
Chapter 2
Phycocyanin production by Galdieria sulphuraria
strain 074G growing heterotrophically on
maltodextrin and granular starches ... 41
Chapter 3
Effect of oxygen limitation on the biosynthesis of
photo pigments in the red microalgae Galdieria
sulphuraria 074G ... 53
Chapter 4
Thermostable phycocyanin from the red microalgae
Cyanidioschyzon merolae, a new natural blue food
colorant ... 69
Chapter 5
Effect of light, preservatives, and alcohol on the
stability of the phycocyanin from the extremophilic
red microalgae Cyanidioschyzon merolae ... 91
Chapter 6
Prospecting local Indonesian isolates for
phycocyanin, glycogen, and floridoside production .... 107
Chapter 7
Summary and Closing Remarks ... 125
Samenvatting ... 135
Ringkasan
... 141
Acknowledgements ... 147
1
Preface
Microalgae are a diverse group of unicellular photosynthetic organisms that live in aquatic systems in the water column as well as on the sediment. Their size can range from a few to several hundred micrometres. Most microalgae are eukaryotic, containing a nucleus, and various organelles. Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are prokaryotes lacking a nucleus. As microalgae are ubiquitously present in aquatic systems and bearing in mind that our Planet is covered for 70% with water, it is not surprising that microalgae are the primary oxygen producers responsible for approximately half of the global oxygen production. In addition, resulting from their predominantly photosynthetic lifestyle, microalgae also fix vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Together with bacteria, microalgae are the primary producers forming the basis of the food web, fuelling almost all Life on our Planet (Borowitzka, 1997).
The group of microalgae encompasses many hundred thousands of species, of which about 50,000 have been properly identified (Norton et al., 1996; Guiry, 2012; Borowitzka, 2013). Some well-known species include Spirulina platensis, the blue green algae that can form massive blooms in lakes leading to anoxia and the death of many aquatic life forms (Borowitzka, 2003). Spirulina is sold in many supermarkets as super food. Another well-known representative of the microalgae species is Chlorella vulgaris, a green microalgae that has been around since the Precambrian and was described by M.W. Beijerinck as the first algae with a clear nucleus (Beijerinck, 1890). The ocean dwelling microalgae Phaeocystis thrives in early spring when nutrients are plentiful available. When Phaeocystis blooms die the cellular proteins are released forming foam heads on the waves and beaches. In addition the dying Phaeocystic blooms release dimethylsulfide with a particular smell often referred to as the typical smell of the sea (Schoemann et al. 2005). Microalgae have received much attention as some species produce considerable amounts of lipids that can be used to produce biodiesel or replace fish oil as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs (Bellou et al. 2014). Microalgae can also be used as a source of natural colorants, in particular astaxanthin, a red/orange photopigment, and
2
This PhD thesis deals with photopigments and functional carbohydrates from a peculiargroup of thermoacidophilic microalgae, the Cyanidiales or red microalgae, in particular Galdieria sulphuraria and Cyanidioschyzon merolae. Chapter 1 of this PhD thesis gives general information on microalgae, the process of photosynthesis, their photopigments and storage carbohydrates, and the order of the Cyanidiales, to which G. sulphuraria and C. merolae belong. In chapter 2, the growth of G. sulphuraria on maltodextrin and granular starch is described. Maltodextrins support the growth of G. sulphuraria as good as glucose. Growth on maltodextrins is enabled by the production of an extracellular glucoamylase. While investigating the growth on maltodextrin, it was observed that one of the cultures turned pink. This raised the question what the source of the pink colour was and why it was produced. It was concluded that when the pink colour appeared in the culture medium, the biosynthesis of chlorophyll was impaired as oxygen became limiting and one of the key enzymes in chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, the oxygen-dependent coproporphyrinogen III oxidase was deprived of oxygen (chapter 3). Chapter 4 describes the production of a thermostable phycocyanin by Cyanidioschyzon merolae. This phycocyanin has a higher thermostability than that of S. platensis, a natural blue food colorant currently used as alternative for synthetic colorants (Chapter 5). In chapter 6 the isolation and characteristics of several indigenous Indonesian red microalgal isolates is presented. Also the production of phycocyanin and the functional carbohydrates glycogen and floridoside by these Indonesian isolates is described in chapter 6. The final chapter gives a summary and general discussion.
