A chemical characterization of an algal inhibitor obtained from chlamydomonas

Abstract

This investigation was conducted to characterize the algal inhibitory material originally isolated by Proctor (1957b) from Chlamydomonas. Analysis of purified extracts demonstrated that the inhibitor was a mixture of fatty acids . The identity and relative percentages of most of the components of the mixture were determined by GLC analysis . There is evidence that unsaturated fatty acids were responsible for the majority of the toxicity .

Response of algae and zooplankton to C18 fatty acids of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

“…The growth response of H . lacustris inoculated with lenolenic acid is consistent with the dosage response of H. pluvialis (Proctor, 1957) and H. lacustris (McCracken et al, 1980) . Similarly, the response of Anacystis nidulans to C 18 fatty acids (Proctor, 1957) is consistent with the growth response observed for S. leopoliensis in this study.…”

“…The algae were Ankistrodesmus braunii (UTEX 245), Oocystis marssonii (UTEX 287), Haematococcus lacustris (UTEX 16), Synechococcus leopoliensis (UTEX 625), and Botrydiopsis alpina (UTEX 295) . All algae were grown in a modified Volvox medium (McCracken et al, 1980) at 20° C . Cultures were aerated and maintained on a 16 h light -8 h dark schedule .…”

“…Toxicity was determined by a modification of a bioassay developed by McCracken et al (1980) . This involved adding algal suspensions to 125 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 50 ml of culture medium .…”

“…As an initial step in examining this possibility, commercial preparations of C 18 fatty acids with 1, 2, and 3 unsaturations were assayed for their toxicity on selected algae and zooplankton . Thre three acids, linolenic, linoleic, and oleic acids, are major components of the toxin produced by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and have been shown to be toxic to a variety of algae by both Proctor (1957) andMcCracken et al (1980) .…”

Cultivation of Algae in Vegetable and Fruit Canning Industrial Wastewater Treatment Effluent for Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Feed Supplement

“…However, the best time point for harvesting was on day 12 when the algae were completely mature, only a few dead cells were found together with a lower level of chlorellin. Chlorella vulgaris cultures usually release chlorellin (Pratt et al, 1945), a substance similar to a fatty acid and a hydrocarbon (Spoehr and Milner, 1949) having allelopathic activity, a property that allows it to inhibit the McCracken et al, 1980). Moreover, it has been found that chlorellin at lower concentration still allows algae to grow.…”