Increase in the biomass of some green algae species in nitrate and ammonium mediums depending on auto-, mixo- or heterotrophic conditions

Abstract

The increase in total dry mass and protein in cultures of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Scenedesmus quadricauda and Ankistrodesmus acicularis was studied. Under autotrophic conditions, increases in dry mass were, as a rule, larger in the nitrate medium than in the ammonium one, under mixotrophic conditions the situation was reversed and in the case of heterotrophy, the individual species reacted differently. The dependence ot the protein content increase on the nitrate or ammonium form of the medium was not clear. Changes in time of the pH and rH of the mediums were followed and the interdependence of these changes with the production of biomass is discussed.

Keywords

• algae
• nitrates
• ammonium salts
• redox potential