Arthrospira platensis explained

Arthrospira platensis is a filamentous, gram-negative cyanobacterium. This bacterium is non-nitrogen-fixing photoautotroph.[1] It has been isolated in Chenghai Lake, China, soda lakes of East Africa, and subtropical, alkaline lakes.[2] [3] [4]

Morphology

Arthrospira platensis is filamentous, motile bacterium. Motility has been described as a vigorous gliding without a visible flagella.

Metabolism

As a photoautotroph the major carbon source is carbon dioxide and water is a source of electrons to perform CO2 reduction.

Genetics

Arthrospira platensis has a single circular chromosome containing 6.8 Mb and 6,631 genes. The G+C content has been determined to be 44.3%.

Growth conditions

Arthrospira platensis has been found in environments with high concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate. It can also be found in high salt concentrations because of its alkali and salt tolerance. The temperature optimum for this organism is around 35 °C. Based on environmental conditions, culture medium often has a pH between 9-10, inorganic salts, and a high bicarbonate concentration.

Uses

There are various present and past uses of A. platensis as food or food supplement, which is better known as 'Spirulina' in this context. Spirulina is sold as a health supplement in the form of powder or tablets due to its high levels of essential and unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, dietary minerals, and antioxidants.[5] After the Chernobyl disaster, Spirulina was given to victims due to its antioxidant properties to avoid adverse effects of reactive oxygen species.[6] Proteins extracted from A. platensis can be used in food as thickening agents[7] or stabilizers for emulsions[8] or foams.[9] A direct comparison indicates that A. platensis protein isolates are more effective at reducing surface tension compared to commonly used animal proteins.[10] The light-harvesting complex of A. platensis, phycocyanin, can be extracted as a blue pigment powder and used as blue colorant in food.[11] As A. platensis cells contain hydrogenases and can produce hydrogen, they are a candidate for the production of renewable energy.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Fujisawa T, Narikawa R, Okamoto S, Ehira S, Yoshimura H, Suzuki I, Masuda T, Mochimaru M, Takaichi S, Awai K, Sekine M, Horikawa H, Yashiro I, Omata S, Takarada H, Katano Y, Kosugi H, Tanikawa S, Ohmori K, Sato N, Ikeuchi M, Fujita N, Ohmori M . 6 . Genomic structure of an economically important cyanobacterium, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis NIES-39 . DNA Research . 17 . 2 . 85–103 . April 2010 . 20203057 . 2853384 . 10.1093/dnares/dsq004 .
  2. Book: Masojídek J, Torzillo G . Mass Cultivation of Freshwater Microalgae. 2008. Encyclopedia of Ecology. 2226–2235. Elsevier . 10.1016/b978-008045405-4.00830-2 . 9780080454054.
  3. Xu T, Qin S, Hu Y, Song Z, Ying J, Li P, Dong W, Zhao F, Yang H, Bao Q . 6 . Whole genomic DNA sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of Arthrospira platensis: high genome plasticity and genetic diversity . DNA Research . 23 . 4 . 325–38 . August 2016 . 27330141 . 4991836 . 10.1093/dnares/dsw023 .
  4. Kebede E, Ahlgren G . October 1996. Optimum growth conditions and light utilization efficiency of Spirulina platensis (= Arthrospira fusiformis) (Cyanophyta) from Lake Chitu, Ethiopia . Hydrobiologia . 332 . 2 . 99–109 . 10.1007/bf00016689 . 32546529.
  5. Capelli . Bob . Cysewski . Gerald R. . Potential health benefits of spirulina microalgae*: A review of the existing literature . Nutrafoods . April 2010 . 9 . 2 . 19–26 . 10.1007/BF03223332 . 40624847 .
  6. Small . Ernest . 37. Spirulina – food for the universe . Biodiversity . December 2011 . 12 . 4 . 255–265 . 10.1080/14888386.2011.642735 . 120504029 .
  7. Grossmann . Lutz . Hinrichs . Jörg . Weiss . Jochen . Cultivation and downstream processing of microalgae and cyanobacteria to generate protein-based technofunctional food ingredients . Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition . 24 September 2020 . 60 . 17 . 2961–2989 . 10.1080/10408398.2019.1672137 . 31595777 . 203985553 .
  8. Böcker . Lukas . Bertsch . Pascal . Wenner . David . Teixeira . Stephanie . Bergfreund . Jotam . Eder . Severin . Fischer . Peter . Mathys . Alexander . Effect of Arthrospira platensis microalgae protein purification on emulsification mechanism and efficiency . Journal of Colloid and Interface Science . February 2021 . 584 . 344–353 . 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.09.067 . 33070074 . 2021JCIS..584..344B . 224782082 . free . 20.500.11850/442458 . free .
  9. Buchmann . Leandro . Bertsch . Pascal . Böcker . Lukas . Krähenmann . Ursina . Fischer . Peter . Mathys . Alexander . Adsorption kinetics and foaming properties of soluble microalgae fractions at the air/water interface . Food Hydrocolloids . December 2019 . 97 . 105182 . 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.105182 . 197138756 . free . 20.500.11850/349196 . free .
  10. Bertsch . Pascal . Böcker . Lukas . Palm . Ann-Sophie . Bergfreund . Jotam . Fischer . Peter . Mathys . Alexander . Arthrospira platensis protein isolate for stabilization of fluid interfaces: Effect of physicochemical conditions and comparison to animal-based proteins . Food Hydrocolloids . March 2023 . 136 . 108290 . 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108290 . free . 20.500.11850/579831 . free .
  11. Martelli . Giulia . Folli . Claudia . Visai . Livia . Daglia . Maria . Ferrari . Davide . Thermal stability improvement of blue colorant C-Phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis for food industry applications . Process Biochemistry . January 2014 . 49 . 1 . 154–159 . 10.1016/j.procbio.2013.10.008 .
  12. Dutta . Debajyoti . De . Debojyoti . Chaudhuri . Surabhi . Bhattacharya . Sanjoy K . Hydrogen production by Cyanobacteria . Microbial Cell Factories . December 2005 . 4 . 1 . 36 . 10.1186/1475-2859-4-36 . 16371161 . 1343573 . free .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arthrospira platensis".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.