An Alternative Exploitation of <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC6803: A Cascade Approach for the Recovery of High Added-Value Products
Paola Imbimbo,
Luigi D’Elia,
Iolanda Corrado,
Gerardo Alvarez-Rivera,
Antonio Marzocchella,
Elena Ibáñez,
Cinzia Pezzella,
Filipe Branco dos Santos,
Daria Maria Monti
Affiliations
Paola Imbimbo
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Luigi D’Elia
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Iolanda Corrado
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Gerardo Alvarez-Rivera
Laboratory of Foodomics, Institute of Food Science Research, CIAL, CSIC, Nicolás Cabrera 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Antonio Marzocchella
Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Elena Ibáñez
Laboratory of Foodomics, Institute of Food Science Research, CIAL, CSIC, Nicolás Cabrera 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Cinzia Pezzella
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Filipe Branco dos Santos
Molecular Microbial Physiology Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Daria Maria Monti
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
Microalgal biomass represents a very interesting biological feedstock to be converted into several high-value products in a biorefinery approach. In this study, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was used to obtain different classes of molecules: proteins, carotenoids and lipids by using a cascade approach. In particular, the protein extract showed a selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, whereas carotenoids were found to be active as antioxidants both in vitro and on a cell-based model. Finally, for the first time, lipids were recovered from Synechocystis biomass as the last class of molecules and were successfully used as an alternative substrate for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by the native PHA producer Pseudomonas resinovorans. Taken together, our results lead to a significant increase in the valorization of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 biomass, thus allowing a possible offsetting of the process costs.
