Th e present work investigated the eff ects of aqueous extracts of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and elderberry (Sambucus ebulus) leaves on β-carotene productivity in Dunaliella salina, a green microalga. Leaf extracts from eucalyptus have greater amounts of phenolics and fl avonoids, as well as greater ferric reducing antioxidant potential than elderberry. Th e extracts of both species greatly inhibited growth of algal suspensions. However, chlorophyll and β-carotene concentration increased in cells treated with leaf extracts, and the highest values were detected in 1 % eucalyptus and 2 % elderberry extracts. Fresh weight, total sugar, and protein content signifi cantly increased following exposure of cells to diff erent doses of leaf extracts. However, in doses containing more than 2 % eucalyptus, the upward trend for total sugar and protein ceased and remained statistically unchanged. Th ese results suggest that metabolic modifi cations enable D. salina cells to tolerate the stress induced by the leaf extracts through allocating carbon fl ux to the synthesis of osmolytes and putative antioxidant molecules (e.g. sugars and β-carotene). Th erefore, the use of leaf extracts holds potential to be a promising and eff ective way to improve D. salina cultivation for β-carotene production and other biotechnological and industrial applications.
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