Abstract
Microalgal biomass can be used in creating various functional food and feed products, but certain species of microalgae and cyanobacteria are known to produce various compounds causing off-flavour. In this work, we investigated selected cyanobacterial strains ofSpirulina,Anabaena, andNostocgenera originating from Serbia, with the aim of determining the chemical profile of volatile organic compounds produced by these organisms. Additionally, the influence of nitrogen level during growth on the production of volatile compounds was investigated forNostocandAnabaenastrains. In addition, multivariate techniques, namely, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), were used for making distinction among different microalgal strains. The results show that the main volatile compounds in these species are medium chain length alkanes, but other odorous compounds such as 2-methylisoborneol (0.51–4.48%), 2-pentylfuran (0.72–8.98%),β-cyclocitral (0.00–1.17%), andβ-ionone (1.15–2.72%) were also detected in the samples. Addition of nitrogen to growth medium was shown to negatively affect the production of 2-methylisoborneol, while geosmin was not detected in any of the analyzed samples, which indicates that the manipulation of growth conditions may be useful in reducing levels of some unwanted odor-causing components.
Highlights
IntroductionCyanobacteria (blue-green algae) among all microalgae represent some of the oldest living organisms and show great biological diversity [1, 2]
Cyanobacteria among all microalgae represent some of the oldest living organisms and show great biological diversity [1, 2]
We investigated selected cyanobacterial strains of Spirulina, Anabaena, and Nostoc genera originating from Serbia, with the aim of determining the chemical profile of volatile organic compounds produced by these organisms
Summary
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) among all microalgae represent some of the oldest living organisms and show great biological diversity [1, 2]. This evolutionary and phylogenetic diversity means a great diversity regarding the chemical composition of these organisms, which makes them very attractive for use as sources of a wide range of biomolecules [3]. The addition of microalgal biomass to food and feed products is an interesting option for providing nutritional supplementation with these biologically active compounds. Microalgae produce numerous volatile organic compounds which can cause musty, fishy, and mud-like odour. When microalgal biomass is added to food products, its odour and aroma can influence the sensory properties of the final products [12], and, in natural environment, it can affect the sensory quality of the produced food (e.g., fish) [13]
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