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Conflict of Interest: In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Publication history: Received February 4, 2024
Accepted March 15, 2024

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Potential of Algal Biomass and Their Cultivation for Biofuels Production as Plausible Bio-resource for Economic Sustainability

Maria Hasnain Neelma Munir Nadia Sharif¹ Daniel Anthony Dias² Zainul Abideen^3† Humaira Rizwana⁴ Islem Abid⁵ Farrukh Jamil^{6 7} Murid Hussain⁶ Yong Jun Choi^8†

Department of Biotechnology , Lahore College for Women University , Lahore , Pakistan ¹Department of Biotechnology , Women University Mardan , Mardan , Pakistan ²ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies (HyTECH), CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences , Deakin University , 221 Burwood Highway , Burwood , Victoria 3125 , Australia ³Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization , University of Karachi , Karachi , Pakistan ⁴Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science , King Saud University , 11451 Riyadh , Saudi Arabia ⁵Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology Research , King Saud University , P.O Box 2455 , 11495 Riyadh , Saudi Arabia ⁶Department of Chemical Engineering , COMSATS University Islamabad , Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road , Lahore 54000 , Pakistan ⁷Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group, Sustainable Energy and Power System Research Centre, Research Institute for Sciences and Engineering , University of Sharjah , Sharjah , United Arab Emirates ⁸School of Environmental Engineering , University of Seoul , Seoul , Republic of Korea

zuabideen@uok.edu.pk, yongjun2165@uos.ac.kr

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, September 2024, 41(9), 2567-2580(14), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-024-00157-7

Abstract

Depletion of conventional energy resources necessitates the exploration of new alternative raw materials for sustainable

biofuel production to improve socio-economic development. This research focuses on the cultivation of specifi c algae varieties,

biomass quantifi cation, fatty acid profi ling, and their potential application in biodiesel production. The study examines

diverse emerging algal species, including Ulothrix , Stigeoclonium , Chlorella vulgaris , Cladophora , Oedogonium , Oscillatoria

, Spirogyra , and H. reticulatum . Over a 4-week cultivation period, all species demonstrated increased dry biomass,

with Ulothrix exhibiting the maximum growth (19 g) and Stigeoclonium the minimum (5 g). Lipid composition analysis by

microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) indicated varying percentages (% DW) among strains, with Ulothrix sp. displaying

the highest lipid content (62.4%). Lipid yields, crucial for biodiesel, followed the order: Ulothrix > Stigeoclonium > C. vulgaris

> Cladophora sp. > Oedogonium > Oscillatoria > Spirogyra sp. > H. reticulatum . Further analysis of fatty acid methyl

esters (FAMEs) composition using GC–MS revealed 24 detected FAMEs, with percentage ranges for specifi c fatty acids.

The total FAMEs yield reached approximately 98% (w/w) from algal biodiesel, showcasing variations in saturated, monounsaturated,

and polyunsaturated FAMEs content among strains. Fatty acid profi les, emphasizing linoleic, stearic, and oleic

acids, were analyzed, identifying Cladophora sp., Chlorella vulgaris , and Stigeoclonium sp. as promising biodiesel candidates

based on growth rates and fuel properties. All algal strains met or exceeded specifi cations, except for H. reticulatum

in cetane number. Despite highlighting challenges in large-scale algal cultivation for cost-eff ective biomass production, this

study underscores the potential of expanding the algae biorefi nery value chain to include advanced biofuels and valuable

co-products, presenting a signifi cant global impact on the gross domestic product.

Keywords

Algal fuel · FAMEs · Fuel parameters · Oil · Algae