Abstract
This study investigates distillery wastewater, commonly known as vinasse, as a potential culture medium for the production of Chlorella vulgaris and its most relevant metabolites. The effect of vinasse concentration on the composition of the biomass (proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) was evaluated in treatments performed in 6-L tubular air-lift reactors. The reactors were operated at 25 °C for 18 days, in total darkness, under a continuous flow of air. Results showed a rapid growth of microalgae in the first ten days, when an average production of 0.87 g/L was reached. Then, the daily biomass productivity began to decrease, up to an average value of 11.8 g/L at the 16th day. For all treatments, there was a significant reduction in the concentration of most metabolites in the first eight days. This was likely due to the adaptation of the biomass to the new conditions, with a transition from autotrophic to heterotrophic metabolism. From the 10th day, the concentration of metabolites in the biomass began to increase, reaching a nearly constant value at the 16th day. The observed maximum concentrations (%w/w) were: 48.95% proteins, 2.88% xylose, 7.82% glucose, 4.54% arabinose, 8.28% fructose, and 4.82% lipids. These values were only marginally affected by the type of treatment. Overall, the results obtained suggest that vinasse is a promising and sustainable medium for the growth of C. vulgaris and the production of valuable metabolites.
Highlights
Large-scale production of wastewater is an inevitable consequence of contemporary societies.It leaves a trace on global biochemical cycles, mainly nitrogen, and phosphorus [1], as well as high concentrations of carbon and other nutrients
The bioethanol industry produces large volumes (12–14 liters per liter of ethanol) of a wastewater known as vinasse [5]
The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether the C. vulgaris strain UTEX 1803 could be grown in a culture medium supplemented with vinasse
Summary
Large-scale production of wastewater is an inevitable consequence of contemporary societies. It leaves a trace on global biochemical cycles, mainly nitrogen, and phosphorus [1], as well as high concentrations of carbon and other nutrients. This has significantly reduced the self-purification capacity of natural water bodies [2,3]. Several environmental regulations have been established to control this problem and regulate the levels of organic load, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the treated water [4]. Its characteristics depend on various factors such as variety and maturation degree of sugarcane, efficiency of the fermentation process and the conditions of the distillation
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