Sains Malaysiana 50(3)(2021): 691-697

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5003-11

Nutrient Enrichment in Alginate Bead for Enhancement of Cell Growth and Ammonium Removal by Alginate Immobilized Nannochloropsis sp.

(Pengayaan Nutrien dalam Manik Alginat bagi Penambahbaikan Pertumbuhan Sel dan Penyingkiran Ammonia oleh Pegun Alginat Nannochloropsis sp.)

CHEN-LIN SOO¹* & YII-SIANG HII^2,3

¹Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

²School of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

³Alchemy Laboratory and Services Sdn. Bhd., 326B, 1st Floor, Lot 2520, Jalan Hiliran, Mukim, Losong, 20300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 21 Februari 2020/Diterima: 18 Ogos 2020

ABSTRACT

Microalgae have been immobilized in alginate matrixes for the ease of harvesting of the microalgae. However, not all microalgae thrive when immobilized. Immobilized cells are sensitive to the micro-environment in alginate matrixes. Hence, this study aims to improve the growth of immobilized cells and also ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) removal by adding growth medium in alginate beads during the immobilization process. Different strength of the Guillard’s f/2 medium (0%, 30%, 50%, and 100%) was enriched in alginate beads inoculated with Nannochloropsis sp. The immobilized cells were then cultivated in seawater with 1000 µM NH₄⁺-N as the sole nitrogen source. The growth and NH₄⁺-N uptake by immobilized cells enriched with different strength of f/2 medium were compared. There were no significant differences on specific growth rate and specific uptake rate of immobilized cells after nutrient enrichment in alginate beads. However, maximum cells attained and maximum NH₄⁺-N removed increased when strength of f/2 medium enriched in alginate beads was increased. Significantly higher maximum cells attained and maximum NH₄⁺-N removal were found in immobilized cells enriched with half strength of f/2 medium than those without nutrient enrichment. The present study demonstrated that nutrient enriched in alginate beads can be used by immobilized cells, and subsequently improves the performance of immobilized cells in marine water treatment and production of microalgal biomass simultaneously.

Keywords: Alginate bead; ammonia removal; immobilization; Nannochloropsis sp.; nutrient enrichment

ABSTRAK

Mikroalga dipegunkan pada matriks alginat bagi memudahkan penuaian mikroalga. Walau bagaimanapun, tidak semua mikroalga dapat hidup dengan baik apabila dipegunkan. Sel yang dipegunkan adalah sensitif terhadap mikrosekitaran di dalam matriks alginat. Oleh itu, kajian ini dilakukan bertujuan untuk menambahbaik pertumbuhan sel yang dipegunkan dan juga penyingkiran nitrogen ammonia (NH₄⁺-N) dengan menambahkan medium pertumbuhan di dalam manik alginat semasa proses pemegunan. Medium Guillard f/2 dengan kepekatan yang berbeza (0%, 30%, 50% dan 100%) telah diperkayakan dalam manik alginat yang diinokulasi denganNannochloropsis sp. Sel yang telah dipegunkan kemudiannya dikulturkan ke dalam air laut yang dibekalkan dengan 1000 μM NH₄⁺-N sebagai sumber nitrogen tunggal. Pertumbuhan dan pengambilan NH₄⁺-N oleh sel pegun yang diperkayakan dengan kepekatan medium f/2 yang berbeza telah dibandingkan. Kadar tumbesaran khusus dan kadar pengambilan khusus bagi sel pegun tidak berbeza dengan ketara selepas pengayaan nutrien dalam manik alginat. Namun begitu, jumlah sel maksimum yang diperoleh dan NH₄⁺-N maksimum yang disingkirkan telah meningkat apabila kepekatan medium f/2 yang diperkayakan di dalam manik alginat meningkat. Jumlah sel maksimum yang diperoleh dan NH₄⁺-N maksimum yang disingkirkan adalah nyata lebih tinggi di dalam sel pegun yang diperkayakan dengan kepekatan separuh medium f/2 berbanding dengan sel pegun tanpa pengayaan nutrien. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pengayaan nutrien dalam manik alginat dapat digunakan oleh sel pegun dan seterusnya meningkatkan prestasi sel pegun dalam rawatan air marin dan penghasilan biojisim mikroalga secara serentak.

Kata kunci: Manik alginat; Nannochloropsis sp.; pemegunan; pengayaan nutrien; penyingkiran ammonia

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*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: soo@ums.edu.my