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Research Article Open Access

Locally Isolated Microalgae as a Source of Biodiesel and By Products: An Integral Study of Med-Algae Project

Nagwa G-E. Mohammady1, Heba S. El-Sayed2, Eman M. Fakhry1, Hala M. Taha2, Jihan H. Mohamed1, Nirouz H. Mahmoud1 and Basma A. Abdelsalam1

1Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

2National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt.

Nagwa G-E. Mohammady et al /Int.J. Chemical Concepts. 2015,1(2),pp 94-102.
Abstract
An integral lab study of Med-algae project was done on locally isolated algal strain Nannochloropsis sp. to examine its potential as a feedstock for biodiesel and other bio-products. Nannochloropsis sp. was isolated and cultivated in 25L Flat Panel Photobioreactor under best growth promoting conditions of light, 300 µmol m- 2 s- 1; salinity, 30 g/l; nitrate, 6 mg/l; pH, 9; and dilution, 10%. The maximum growth data was obtained during autumn, 2014. The results showed that the maximum dry wt was 3.3 g/L, while the growth rate was 1.5/day. Biochemical analyses expressed in % of the dry wt were as following: carbohydrate content, 22; Protein content, 32; while lipid content was 40%. The amount of ashes, 1.1 mg/l; chlorophyll a, 0.58 mg/l; while total carotenoids were 2.56 mg/l. Amino acid analysis indicated the presence of 15 fractions. A detailed analysis of fatty acid methyl esters comprising biodiesel was present in this study. *This study has been organized on the basis of a submitted lab scale research component of Med algae project.

Keywords

Biodiesel, By-Products, Chlorella sp.