Production of Natural and Functional Pigments in Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis cultivated in Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

In this study, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was cultivated under laboratory conditions at 30 ± 1 °C and 80 µmol.m-²s-1 illumination. Intensive cultivation of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was carried out in 250 mL, 500 mL and 2 L flasks, and 10 L and 20 L carboys. Zarrouk Medium was used as a nutrient medium. Constant aeration also applied in the 2 L flasks and the carboys. According to the optical density results, continually increase in the biomass yields of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis observed until the 24th day of the cultivation period. During the experiment, water temperature was recorded as 29.89 ± 0.45 °C, PH 10.88 ± 0.87, oxygen level of 10.18 ± 2.67 mg/L. Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis has a wide range of pigments, including chlorophyll a, total carotenoids and phycobiliproteins (protein-rich phycocyanin and phycoerythrin). The primary potential of these pigments seems to be their use as natural dyes, but a growing number of studies have also shown that the functional properties of these pigments related to health benefits and wide pharmaceutical applications. During the cultivation of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, chlorophyll a, total carotene, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin production were determined daily by using spectrophotometric methods. The study results showed that the amount of chlorophyll a increased until the 29th day when the amount of β carotene increased until the 14th day. The highest chlorophyll a was 5.46 ± 0.57 mg/gon the 22nd day, the highest total carotene was 1.82 ± 0.25 mg/g on the 7th day. On the 14th day of the experiment, the amount of phycocyanin was 172.85 ± 7.35 mg/g and the amount of phycoerythrin was 75.54 ± 4.98 mg/g.