Exploring the potential of freshwater algal species for biofuel production

Vijetna Singh, Sana Fatima Ikram, Bhumi Nath Tripathi

The present study demonstrates the potential of freshwater algal species collected from the natural habitats of Central India for biofuel production. Algal samples were collected from different waterbodies and were microscopically examined in the laboratory. Based on the morphological features using the taxonomic keys, a total of 51 algal species (18 Cyanophyta, 22 Chlorophyta, 7 Bacillariophyta, and 4 Charophyta) were identified. Among them, 18 algal species were successfully purified in the laboratory and tested for their ability to produce biomass and lipid, which are the essential criteria to be qualified as suitable feedstock for biofuel production. The data on specific growth rates suggest that Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus bijugatus, and Nitzschia recta were the fastest growing species, whereas all the members of Cyanophyta showed relatively slower growth. The biomass productivity was higher in C. vulgaris, S. bijugatus, and Anabaena sp., but the lipid production was highest in C. vulgaris followed by Haematococcus sp., whereas the members of Cyanophyta showed the lowest lipid production. Furthermore, we assessed the ability of biomass and lipid production and biochemical parameters of four selected algal species, C. vulgaris, S. bijugatus, Anabaena sp., and N. recta, due to their faster growth, higher biomass and lipid production, and abundance. Based on the cluster analyses of the values of lipid and biomass production of these species against internal N:P ratio, three distinct clusters were noticed, cluster 1: near 50:1, cluster 2: between 30:35, and cluster 3 between 15:20 cellular N:P ratios. High lipid and biomass productivity were observed between the 30:35 N:P ratio. Despite the metabolic significance of N and P for algae, more research is warranted to conclude anything precisely.