Screening microalgae for carbohydrate production

Twelve species belonging to nine classes of microalgae and cyanobacteria were grown under their optimal condition in batch culture. Increase of cell numbers was checked by in vivo fluorescence method during the growth and approximately after two weeks the species were screened for total carbohydrate by Phenol-Sulfuric acid method. The species and their classes which have been studied were in this order; Chlorophyceae (Quadricoccus euryhalinicus, Chlamydomonas euryale, Chlorella sp.), Nephroselmidophyceae (Nephroselmis minuta), Prasinophyceae (Micromonas pussilla, Mantoniella sp.), Cryptophyceae (Proteomonas sulcata), Zygnematophyceae (Spirogyra sp.), Haptophyta/Prymnesiophyceae (Phaeocyctis cf. pouchetii), Rhodophyta/Porphyridiophyaceae, (Porphyridium cruentum), Bacillariophyta/Coscinodiscophyceae (Thalassiosira pseudonana), and Cyanophyceae (Nostoc commune). Finally, the best species with higher carbohydrate production in comparison to others were detected,respectively; Spirogyra sp., Nostoc commune, Porphyridium cruentum, Quadricoccus euryhalinicus and Chlorella sp. with 0,1, 0,09, 0,07, 0,04 and 0,04 (g/L) carbohydrate production, respectively