From diatom to a sustainable business: optimizing the fucoxanthin production by varying light intensities and temperature

Muizelaar, W. (2017) From diatom to a sustainable business: optimizing the fucoxanthin production by varying light intensities and temperature. Master's Thesis / Essay, Marine Biology.

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Abstract

Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a robust and widely studied diatom with a potential usage in the commercial algae cultivation because of its reportedly high fucoxanthin content. A lot of research is going into fucoxanthin since it has a possible medicinal potential. Therefore, knowing the factors which have an impact on the fucoxanthin production by P. tricornutum may increase the interest in commercial usage and stimulate more research into its application. The effects of irradiance on the fucoxanthin production are quite well known, but the effects of temperature are understudied. In the present study, the effects of different irradiances and temperatures on the fucoxanthin production of P. tricornutum were determined. The results of these experiments were used to setup a cultivation system where the fucoxanthin content could passively increase without adding extra nutrients. At high irradiances P. tricornutum showed lower fucoxanthin levels compared to low irradiances. Higher temperature also has a negative effect on the fucoxanthin content, but only in higher irradiances. The designed cultivation setup showed that the passive increase of fucoxanthin content worked, but it was not yet efficient enough to outcompete the growth of a second batch in the same time frame. The cultivation system still has a lot of room for improvement which may lead to greater efficiency. Overall, this study provides a good starting point for research into the effects of temperature on the fucoxanthin production and may lead to a better optimized cultivation setup.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master's Thesis / Essay)
Degree programme:	Marine Biology
Thesis type:	Master's Thesis / Essay
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2018 08:32
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2018 08:32
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/15854

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