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The anti-leukemic drug enzyme L-asparaginase is highly sought for its potential in treating various solid tumors; as well as its application in food production for mitigation of the carcinogenic acrylamide. Marine microalgae are well known for their diverse bioactive products and ease of cultivation, making them ideal candidates for large-scale production. Seven marine microalgae were isolated based on their L-asparaginase production, and the isolate Chroococcus turigidus was identified as the highest producer, yielding 212.413 IU/ml. The in-vitro anticancer activity of the algal extract was evaluated against breast carcinoma (MDA) and hepatoma (HepG-2) cell lines with comparison to normal human skin fibroblast (HSF) cell lines. The IC 50 values of the algal extract against HSF cells were Determined to be 844.4 and 730.5 µg/mL after 24 h and 48 h of treatment, while low IC 50 values of 126.3 and 169.8 µg/mL were observed with selectivity indices (SI) of 6.69 and 4.97 respectively. The results demonstrated that, HepG-2 cells exhibited slightly greater sensitivity to the treatment compared to MDA cells. These findings suggested that Chroococcus turigidus could serve as a novel and abundant source of L-asparaginase enzyme and is well-suited for biomass production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on L-asparaginase production from Chroococcus turigidus .

Sensitivity of four tropical cyanobacteria viz. Coelosphaerium sp., Synechococcus sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Chroococcus sp. to environmentally relevant concentrations of Cr super(6+), Cd super(2+) and Zn super(2+)was assessed based on fluorescence change as a proxy for growth reduction. At 24 h exposure, the growth reduction inthe cyanobacteria followed the order: Zn super(2+) < Cr super(6+) less than or equal to Cd super(2+). Of the four cyanobacteria, Synechococcus was the most sensitive for Cr super(6+), where as Chroococcus was the most sensitive for Cd super(2+)and Zn super(2+). Sensitivity was gradually decreased by 96 h implying the acquisition of tolerance by cyanobacteria to heavy metal ions with prolonged exposure.

Background and aims - Massive algae growth resulting in a phytoplankton bloom is a very rare event in the meromictic and oligotrophic Lake Tanganyika. Such a bloom was observed in the north of the lake in September 2018. Phytoplankton species composition during this bloom is compared to a documented bloom in 1955, and to the composition in September 2011-2013. Meteorological observations suggest hydrodynamics could explain the occurrence of the 2018 bloom. Material and methods - Phytoplankton net samples were taken in the pelagic and littoral zone near Uvira during five consecutive days of the bloom in 2018. For the period 2011-2013, quantitative phytoplankton samples were obtained during a weekly sampling at the same sites. Samples were analysed with an inverted microscope and relative abundances of the algal species were compared. Key results - Dolichospermum flosaquae (Cyanobacteria) initially dominated the bloom followed by high relative abundance of Limnococcus limneticus (Cyanobacteria) on the third sampling day in September 2018. In the pelagic zone an increase of Nitzschia asterionelloides (Bacillariophyta), and Dictyosphaerium and Lobocystis (Chlorophyta) was observed while in the littoral zone increasing abundances of dinophytes were noted. Dolichospermum flosaquae was also responsible for the bloom reported in 1955, but was only sporadically observed in the 2011-2013 samples. Although Limnococcus limneticus was present in 2011-2013, it never reached relative abundances as high as during the 2018 bloom. Meteorological data indicate that 2018 experienced different conditions compared to previous years: strong south-east winds from May to September with a more eastern direction of the wind, and a well-marked drop in atmospheric pressure between August and September. Conclusion - After a very windy season, the combination of strong hydrodynamics, calmer lake conditions, and high solar radiation and air temperature in September 2018 was favourable for a massive Cyanobacteria bloom in the north of Lake Tanganyika.

Morphological variability as a consequence of variable combinations of nutrient concentration, light intensity, temperature, and water movement was studied in seven monoclonal populations of planktonic coccoid genus Chroococcus isolated from phytoplankton, metaphyton and periphyton from different localities in the Czech and Slovak Republic and other countries. Width of the cells, formation of mucilage and formation of cellular packets were used to test changes in morphology. A 16SrRNA gene analysis was carried out altogether on ten strains formerly assigned to different species of the genus Chroococcus in the Culture Collections CCALA Trebon (www.cas.ccala.cz) and HBI AS CR in Ceske Budejovice, including those under detailed study. The sequences formed four distinct phylogenetic groups. Two of them showed no affiliation to the genus Chroococcus. However, two other groups situated distantly in the phylogenetic tree proved a polyphyletic character of the genus Chroococcus sensu auct. Apart from the group of typical species of the genus Chroococcus, the group of planktonic species could be distinguished, represented by Chroococcus limneticus (Limnococcus). All the sequences will be available in the GenBank.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of cyanobacteria as a soil inoculant for cultivation of the medicinal plant, Allium sativum . Cyanobacterial strains isolated from the medicinal plant field were cultured in BG11/BG11° medium. Three cyanobacterial isolates, Nostoc sp. HNBGU 006 (NS-TGS), Pseudanabaena biceps (PaS-TGiS), Chroococcus turgidus (CS-TTS), were selected for in-vitro assays. Seedling growth assays were performed with A. sativum and Raphanus sativus seeds primed with different concentration of aqueous extracts prepared from these isolates. Live cell suspension of the selected cyanobacterium, NS-TGS, was inoculated in pot soil to observe the effect of cyanobacterization on growth of A. sativum . Maximum enhancement in all the growth parameters was exhibited by 1% aqueous extract of NS-TGS in comparison to control. The result of NS-TGS inoculation in pot soil revealed an increase of 54.92 % in root length, 31.28 % in shoot length, 112 % in dry weight and 50.33 % in yield. An enhancement of 84.28% in the allicin content was also recorded in cloves grown in treated soil as compared to control. There was significant enhancement in soil and leaf chlorophyll as well as soil potassium content with the highest recorded in the treatment BSI (before sowing inoculation) + ASI (after sowing inoculation). This study provides an insight to the cyanobacterization of soil with NS-TGS for the cultivation of A. sativum herb and is consistent with the sustainable agriculture approach.

In this study, the growth and productivity of five commercially important microalgae, Chroococcus sp., Haematococcus pluvialis, Dunaliella sp., Coelastrella saipanensis, and Chlorella sp., grown in different volume-to-surface area (V/S) ratios (1:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.28, 1:1.3, 1:1.6, 1:2.22, 1:4.16 and 1:6) were assessed based on their cell number, biomass, pigment content, carbohydrate, protein, photosynthetic O2 evolution, and dark respiration. The findings reveal that varied V/S ratios have significant effects on productivity and photosynthesis of each microalga. Hence, for culture system-photobioreactor design, the V/S ratio is to be considered as one of the important parameters. Photobioreactors play a significant role in the production of desired and environmentally benign products from microalgae. It is still challenging to design bioreactors for microalgal production. This study results show that H. pluvialis, Dunaliella sp., and C. saipanensis, potential microalgae for commercial production, have the highest cell number and biomass in the V/S ratio of 1:6, which mimic a tubular bioreactor. The Chroococcus sp. and Chlorella sp. are grown well in 1:4.16 V/S ratio which resemble flat-panel bioreactors. The carbohydrate, protein, and total chlorophyll concentrations also varying according to the V/S ratios. Through this study, it is evident that volume and surface area of culture system have significant effect on algae growth. The productivity of the algae is varying with V/S ratios, suggesting that specific V/S ratio is significant for designing photobioreactor. This laboratory experiment of growing microalgae in different volume to surface area influence the growth and productivity would provide cost effective quick baseline information to work further for selecting suitable bioreactors/culture system for large scale cultivation.

The use of cyanobacteria for intracellular polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation for bioplastic production offers a cost-saving opportunity. Because of their short generation cycles, cyanobacteria have a high potential as a source of PHB. This research aimed to screen the best cyanobacteria strain growing on palm oil mill effluent (POME) and optimize the environmental and nutritional factors by using Box-Behnken RSM. Results showed that Synechocystis sp. produced the highest PHB compared to Nostoc sp., Synechococcus sp., and Chroococcus sp. Further optimization revealed that the interaction of glycerol and UV-C irradiation, or glycerol and iron addition increased PHB production of Synechocystis sp.. The highest PHB production was found at 670 mg L−1 glycerol, 70 min UV-C irradiation time, and 20 mg L−1 iron. It was confirmed by FT-IR, GC-MS and NMR H1 that PHB was dominated by butyric esters with 284 °C thermal stability.

The use of microalgae in wastewater treatment (WWT) is seen as a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional WWTs, and the obtained biomass is gaining importance as a bio-product. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using municipal wastewater (MWW) as a nutritional supplement for the cultivation of the cyanobacteria Chroococcus turgidus (Kützing) Nägeli 1849 and the pollutant removal potential of the microalgae. The WW received from the different treatment stages (primary, secondary, and final effluent) was applied to the microalgae culture, and algal growth was compared with regard to growth rate, nutrient removal efficiency, and final algal lipid (%) and protein (%) content. In 7-day batch experiments, except for BOD5 analysis, COD, PO4-P, and N forms analyses were carried out daily in parallel with in vivo Chl-a and Chl-b, DO, pH, temperature, and conductivity measurements. The growth rates and Chl-a quotas of the microalgae grown in trials were different, and the highest growth rate was with a 1.03 ± 0.06 d−1 in the primary effluent (PE). The highest Chl-a and Chl-b quotas among WW trials of microalgae were obtained from the PE trial as 252.4 ± 2 µg L−1 and 112 ± 18 µgL−1, respectively. NH4-N, NO3-N, NO2-N, PO4-P, BOD5, and COD treatment efficiencies were in the ranges of (74.6–83%), (16–71.2%), (22.2–63.6%), (89–95.3%), (50–76.2%), and (70.3–78.6%), respectively. The microalgae were observed to accumulate the highest lipid (28.05 ± 2.26%DW) content in secondary effluent (SE), the highest carbohydrate (43.93 ± 1.02%DW) content in the effluent (E), and the highest protein content (35.25 ± 1.22%DW) in the PE. The results of this study suggested that C. turgidus is a new candidate for bioremediate pollution load of MWW, and its biomass has the potential to offer options in bio-product applications.

Lakes play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, providing water resources, regulating climate, cycling nutrients, and offering recreational opportunities. Despite their importance for environmental health and human well-being, lakes face significant pressures in the Anthropocene era. The present work seeks to assess the species-environment interactions and the ecological status of six lakes in the Western Black Sea basin of Türkiye utilizing phytoplankton metrics during wet and dry periods. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed a significant correlation equal to 98.5% between phytoplankton species and environmental stressors during two hydrological periods. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and temperature were the most influential environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in lakes ( p  = 0.002). Lake Sarıkum, a brackish habitat, was under high EC and pH pressure and is characterized by pollution-tolerant species. Lake Yeniçağa associated with TOC is characterized by some species, such as Anabaenopsis milleri , Chroococcus turgidus , Pseudoschroederia robusta , Aphanocapsa sp., Merismopedia glauca , Micractinium quadrisetum , and Microcystis aeruginosa . Lake Abant is located on the opposite side of EC, TOC, and temperature, which was associated with some species such as Cymbella affinis , Achnanthidium minutissimum , Encyonema minutum , E. silesiacum , and Dinobryon divergens . Results of the phyto-assessment displayed that the ecological status (ES) of the sampling stations during the rainy and dry periods varied from bad to high. The modified phytoplankton trophic index (MPTI) exhibited that a moderate ES was found in Lakes Sarıkum and Yeniçağa, while others had a good ES. The present study confirmed that phytoplankton communities are strongly linked to the ecological status of lakes in the Western Black Sea basin, which could be assessed using the MPTI.

Introduction: Microalgae and cyanobacteria are promising sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anticancer properties. The cyanobacterium Chroococcus turgidus has been studied for its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer effects. This study investigates its anticancer effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) at the cellular and molecular levels. Methods: The metabolites of C. turgidus were screened using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and GC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH assay. The biological effects of methanolic extract (ME) were evaluated using MTT assay, Annexin V/PI staining, DAPI staining, and western blotting. Cells were treated with ME at concentrations ranging from 5 to 500 µg/mL for 24 and 48 hours, with the IC50 values determined at 373 µg/mL and 291 µg/mL, respectively. Results: ME contained bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Identified fatty acids included palmitic acid ethyl ester (15.53%), 1-bromo-11-iodoundecane (2.31%), undecanoic acid 2,8-dimethyl methyl ester (6.62%), oleic acid (6.47%), and 7-dehydrocholesterol (7.97%). ME inhibited SW480 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induced nuclear fragmentation, chromatin remodeling, and apoptosis. Annexin V/PI staining confirmed apoptosis as the dominant mode of cell death. Western blot analysis showed increased Bax and decreased Bcl2 expression, supporting its pro-apoptotic activity. Conclusion: C. turgidus may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for gastrointestinal cancers through its ability to modulate the Bax/Bcl2 pathway and promote apoptosis. These findings highlight its novel anticancer effects and support further preclinical investigations.