Influence of light quality and intensity in the cultivation of Spirulina platensis from Toliara (Madagascar) in a closed system

BACKROUND: Spirulina platensis (Toliara, Madagascar) provides a food supplement which can fight against malnutrition and food insufficiency in Madagascar. In this country, the current production from three open basins does not cover the need and presents drawbacks, such as low productivity and possible contamination. So cultivation of S. platensis in a closed photobioreactor opens the possibility of extending this microalgae production. In this study, the influence of colour and intensity of the light on S. platensis growth and protein content was investigated in a bubble column. RESULTS: Growth kinetics were obtained for four colours (green, white, red and blue) and four intensities (400, 800, 1000 and 1200 lux) of light. The influence of light colour on Spirulina growth was discussed. The highest productivity (183.6 mg L-1d-1) and concentration (2643 mg L-1) were obtained for green light at 1200 lux. The protein content was 58 %. CONCLUSION: Using green light allows to improve S. platensis growth. The performances obtained with the closed system are higher than those reported in the literature