Sengamala Thayaar Educational Trust Women’s College

(Affiliated to Bharathidasan University)

(Accredited with ‘A’ Grade {3.45/4.00} By NAAC)
(An ISO 9001: 2015 Certified Institution)
Sundarakkottai, Mannargudi-614 016.
Thiruvarur (Dt.), Tamil Nadu, India.

MEC III-BASIC BIOTECHNOLOGY-16SMBEBC3

Dr. R. ANURADHA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR & HEAD
PG & RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY
 CULTIVATION AND USES OF
BIOFERTILIZERS
CULTIVATION AND USES OF BIOFERTILIZERS

INTRODUCTION :-
Blue green algae, also known as
cyanobacteria,are a group of photosynthestic bacteria
that many people refer to as "pond scum". Blue green
algae are most often blue-green algae in colour, but can
also be blue, green, reddish- purple,or blue. Blue green
algae generally grow in lakes, ponds, and slow- moving
streams when the water is warm and enrich with nutrients
like phosphorus or nitrogen.

When environmental conditions are just right,

blue green algae can grow very quickly in number.
 Most species are buoyant and will float to the
surface, where they form scum layer or floating mats. When
this happens, We call this a " blue green algae bloom".

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION :-
Blue green algae are widely considered to be a
whole food for the skin and body.
It contains a broad spectrum of nutrients,
including essential fatty acids, vitamins,minerals, protein,
amino acids, and enzymes.

BLUE GREEN ALGAE CONTAINS

✓ Vitamin A( beta- carotene),

✓ Vitamin C(ascorbic acid),

✓ Folic acid,
✓ Thiamine (vitamin B1),
✓ Riboflavin (vitamin B2),
✓ Niacin (vitamin B3),
✓ Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5),
✓ Pyridoxine ( vitamin B6),
✓ Cobalamin (vitamin B12),
✓ Biotin,
✓ Vitamin E, and
✓ Vitamin K.
 It also contains several essential track minerals,
including calcium, chloride, chromium, copper, iron,
magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and
sodium, and zinc.
Blue-green algae are one of the very few botanical
sources of all twenty essential amino acid.

PROPERTIES OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE:-

A simple organism, blue green algae lacks the
distinct organs like leaves and root of land plants and has
some characteristics of bacteria. They are a rich source of
probiotics, useful to replace good bacteria lost through the
use of antibiotics in humans. The structure of chlorophyll is
very similar to that of hemoglobin, making the nutrients in
blue green algae easily assimilate by humans.
 HISTORY OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE :-

Blue green algae was used by the ancient Egyptians

as colourful eye shadow. The largest and most complex
froms of algae, seaweeds are an important source of food
in many countries. Also, called vegetable plankton, blue
green algae grow throughout the world.
CULTURE (SPIRULINA) :-
SYSTEMATIC POSITION
Spirulina is a blue green algae belonging to

CLASS : CYANOBACTERIA
ORDER : NOSTOCALES
FAMILY : OSCILLATORIACEAE
 The research work in lndia with regard to
utilization has largely been carried out with 2 species.

(1) Spirulina platensis (2) Fusiformis

CULTURE OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE :-
(1) The commercial design of Spirulina culture
system comprises a network of coment raceways with
paddle- wheel agitation to prevent algal accumulation at
the surface & to ensure uniform distribution of nutrients,
with modification in terms of vertical reactors, tubular
reactors etc...
(2) The outdoor culture parameters are cement
raceways or vats preferably with a mid- rip for facilitating
water circulation.
(3) Culture medium depth15-20cm agitation
20cm/sec.
(4) pH 9-11 provided with nutrients. zarrouk's
medium is used in indoor.
(5) light intensity20-30k lux, hardness 120mg/l.
 (6) The culture volume of gradually upgrade to the
level of outdoor cisterms where mass culture medium may
be used.
(7) Provision of half of the quantity of sodium
bicarbonate (9g/l) or carbon-dioxide bubbling is suggested.
(8) Several low cost inputs like blogases slurry have
been tried with measurable success, which may be
incorporated.
(9) A continuous culture method of harvesting &
nutrient dosing is paracticed & the vats are cleaned after 4-
6 months.
(10) Contamination is minimal due to highly alkaline
pH level.
(11) The wet biomass is sun dried on polythene sheets
by the visual or spray- dried in mechanised unit
Unit for marketing purposes.
The culture of Spirulina needs to be carried out with
almost care with spray- drying the product is for human
consumption.
NATURAL PRODUCTION :-
Most commercial protection systems are based on
shallow raceways in which spirulina culture are mixed by a
paddle wheel. However, there are still some examples of
Spirulina being harvested commercially from natural
occuring population.
GROWTH OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE :-
(1) It requires at least six hours of sunlight a
day to grow and thrive.
(2) Fill the container with water from a
pond , that it contains phosphorus, nitrogen and other
particles necessary for it to grow.
(3) Use pond skimmer to remove any algae
that floats to the top of the container.

HARVESTING AND PROCESSING. :-

Spirulina harvesting, processing and packing
has eight principal stage :

(1) FILTRATION AND CLEANING :-

A nylon filter at the entrance of the
water pond is needed.
(2) PRE-CONCENTRATION :-
To obtain algae biomass which is washed
reduce salts content.
(3) CONCENTRATION :-
To remove the highest possible amount of
interstitial water ( located among the filaments).
(4) NEUTRALIZATION :-
To neutralize the biomass with the addition of
acid solution.
(5) DISINTEGRATION. :-
To break down trichomes by a grinder,
(6) DEHYDRATION BY SPRAY- DRYING :-
This operation has great economic
importance since it involves about 20-30 percent of the
production cost.
(7) PACKING :-
It is usually in sealed plastic bags to avoid
hygroscopic action on the dry spirulina.
(8) STORAGE :-
Stored in fresh,dry,unlit,pest- free,and hygienic
storerooms to prevent spirulina pigments from
deteriorating.

APPLICATION OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE :-

(1) It is a healthy food & nutritional
supplement for the human being has unlimited scope in the
future.
(2) It has been shown to be a therapeutic with
regard to several disseses like night blinders, anaemia,
glucomia, cholesterol accumulation, pancreatis etc.....
 (3) Its antioxidant properties have been
attributed with cancer prevention possibilities.
(4) Studies showed higher fish growth rates with
spirulina.
(5) Pigmentation of omamental fishes & prawn
larvae has commercial significance.
(6) New area of Spirulina application are with
regard to extraction of valuable enzymes like
phosphoglycerokinase specific for ATP determination,
superoxide dismutase required genetic engineering &
phycobillin used in immunodiagnostics.
(7) The effect of Spirulina on the nourishment of
skin have paved the way for cosmetic formulations using
this alga.
 (8) spirulina with regard to human/animal
nutrition & therapy command a high export value as also
import substitution.

CONCLUSION :-

✓ Spirulina culture,in fact is being used as a reduce

pollution from wastewater like domestic sewage.Achieving
the twin objectives of pollution reduction & nutrient in the
from of a high quality protein.
✓ This is also serves for certain phenmaceutical
product involving extraction procedures.
✓ Spirulina is a natural gift among the aqua product,
whose potential can be hamesed for better nutrition, health
economics & environment.