Abstract
The underexploited biomass of red seaweed Solieria chordalis (C.Agardh) J.Agardh 1842 represents a potential source for biotechnological development. Extracts obtained from S. chordalis by enzyme-assisted extraction using Protamex® and Neutrase® were evaluated as potential biostimulants of plant growth. Additionally, this alga, as well as post-extraction residues, were examined as biosorbents of metal ions. The biostimulant properties of different concentrations of algal extracts (20, 40, 60, 80, 100%) were tested in vitro on radish seeds. Chlorophyll content, plant weight, and height were measured for each experimental group. For all tested concentrations, the plants demonstrated higher chlorophyll content and were higher and heavier than the control group, showing that enzyme extracts could be used as efficient biostimulants. The biosorption properties of seaweed and post-extraction residues were tested on Cr(III) ions for different experimental conditions—pH, initial metal ion concentration, and biosorbent dosage. The maximum biosorption capacity of S. chordalis was 48.1 mg/g, for the post-extraction residue obtained with Protamex®, 47.6 mg/g, and Neutrase®, 50.5 mg/g. The binding of Cr(III) ions to the surface of biosorbents was confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Good biosorption properties of tested materials can be used in the production of novel components of fertilizers or biosorbents for wastewater treatment. In this paper, it was shown that waste biomass of S. chordalis can be turned into valuable bio-products using environmental-friendly technologies.
Highlights
With increasing pressure being put on the agricultural industry to produce more and more food for the growing population, new sustainable and eco-friendly solutions need to be found to increase crop productivity and harvest yield
There are more than 9000 species of macroalgae in the world, very few red seaweed species have been studied for these types of agricultural applications
Over the past few years, the red macroalga Solieria chordalis has been observed in the Gulf of Morbihan and in the Sarzeau peninsula (France)
Summary
With increasing pressure being put on the agricultural industry to produce more and more food for the growing population, new sustainable and eco-friendly solutions need to be found to increase crop productivity and harvest yield. There are more than 9000 species of macroalgae in the world, very few red seaweed species have been studied for these types of agricultural applications. During the summertime and until December, over 15,000 tons of seaweed are removed, mainly composed of S. chordalis [11, 12]. This macroalga is proposed to be used in various applications such as medicine (immunological and antiviral activities) [13,14,15], nutraceuticals, and cosmetics [16, 17]. In South Brittany (France), the only exploitation of this biomass relates to agricultural amendment applications in nearby fields. Given the current interest in new bio-products from renewable sources, this underexploited biomass represents a potential source for biotechnological development in agricultural products
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