Abstract
Microalgae-based biorefinery concepts can contribute to providing sufficient resources for a growing world population. However, the performance needs to be improved, which requires innovative technologies and processes. Continuous extraction from Chlorella vulgaris cultures via pulsed electric field (PEF) processing might be a viable process to increase the performance of microalgae-based biorefinery concepts. In this study, increasing protein extraction rates were observed with increasing electric field strength, up to 96.6 ± 4.8% of the free protein in the microalgae. However, increased extraction rates negatively influenced microalgae growth after PEF treatment. A free protein extraction rate up to 29.1 ± 1.1% without a significant influence on microalgal growth after 168 h was achieved (p = 0.788).Within the scope of this work, a protocol for continuous protein extraction during microalgae cultivation by PEF processing was developed. The incorporation of innovative downstream into upstream processing could be a viable future concept.
Highlights
The world population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050 (United Nations, 2017)
Continuous extraction from Chlorella vulgaris cultures via pulsed electric field (PEF) processing might be a viable process to increase the performance of microalgae-based biorefinery concepts
One way to increase the performance of microalgae-based biorefineries is growth stimulation or selective microbial inactivation via nanosecond pulsed electric field processing, an innovative technology in microalgae upstream processing (Buchmann et al, 2019a,b, 2018a)
Summary
The world population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050 (United Nations, 2017). Thereby, the demand for arable land independent sustainable resources is increasing (Alexandratos and Bruinsma, 2012; Chaudhary et al, 2018). Microalgae such as Chlorella vulgaris are possible resources to meet this demand. C. vulgaris is a popular species in the bio-based industry because of its high protein and lipid content. C. vulgaris can be used for biofuel production and as a novel food source (Becker, 2013; Brennan and Owende, 2010; Caporgno and Mathys, 2018). Further improvements in downstream processing are required to overcome limitations regarding the high production costs of microalgae derived from the growth medium, energy supply and intensive extraction procedures for valuable compounds (Enzing et al, 2014; Golberg et al, 2016)
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