Trehalose and Sucrose Osmolytes Accumulated by Algae as Potential Raw Material for Bioethanol

Ma. del Pilar Bremauntz, Luis G. Torres-Bustillos, Rosa-Olivia Cañizares-Villanueva, Enrique Duran-Paramo, Luis Fernández-Linares

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DOI: 10.4236/nr.2011.23023                

Abstract

Currently, obtaining sustainable fuels, such as biodiesel and bioethanol, from cheap and renewable materials is a challenge. In recent years, a new approach being developed consists of producing, sugars from algae by photosynthesis. Sugar accumulation can be increased under osmotic stress (osmoregulation). The aim of this study is to show the pro-duction of sugars from algae, isolated from natural sources, and the effect of osmotic stress on fermentable sugars ac-cumulation. Strain isolation, production of sugars from each alga and the effect of osmotic stress on growth and sugar production are described. Twelve algal strains were isolated, showing growths between 0.6 and 1.8 g of biomass dry weight /L, all with production of intracellular and extracellular sugars. The strain identified as Chlorella sp. showed an increase in sugar production from 23.64 to 421 mg of sugars/g of biomass dry weight after 24 h of osmotic stress with 0.4 M NaCl. Sucrose and trehalose, both fermentable sugars, were the compatible osmolytes accumulated in response to the osmotic stress. The isolated strains are potential producers of fermentable sugars, using the photosynthetic pathway and osmotic stress.

Keywords

Algae, Biofuels, Osmoregulators, Carbohydrates, Bioethanol

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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