Porphyridium cruentum Grown on Swine Waste has Minimal Changes to its Fatty Acid Composition

Title:

Porphyridium cruentum Grown on Swine Waste Has Minimal Changes to Its Fatty Acid Composition

Authors:

Humeyra B. Ulusoy-Erol¹, Mariana Lara Menegazzo², Emily Gottberg¹, Jessica Vaden¹, Maryam Asgharpour¹, Christa N. Hestekin¹, and Jamie A. Hestekin¹

¹ Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville,

AR, United States.

² Department of Engineering, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brazil.

Phone number: +1 479 575 3492; Fax number: +1 479 575 7926

Abstract

Environmental problems like eutrophication due to wastewater are becoming more significant because of the dramatic increase in the population. Microalgae are considered one of the best alternatives for wastewater treatment processes due to their significant uptake mechanism for nitrogen and phosphorus as well as the ability to grow in different water types. Porphyridium (P.) cruentum which is a red algae and an important source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can be grown in different types of water. P. cruentum grown on swine waste were found to have no statistical differences in terms of the biomass productivity and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition compared to a control media. In fact, P. cruentum yielded a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids compared to unsaturated fatty acids when grown on swine waste indicating that it would also have potential to be used as a biofuel.