COPPER STRESS ON CELLULAR CONTENTS AND FATTY ACID PROFILES IN CHLORELLA SPECIES

Higher photosynthetic efficiency and biomass production with rapid growth makes microalgae as potential candidates over other energy crops in many applications. Heavy metals influence the production of secondary metabolites and lipd content of microalgae in particular. A study was conducted using six Chlorella species under heavy metal exposure to evaluate the copper stress on biomass, cellular and lipid contents. Preliminary growth studies indicated the growth tolerance levels of Chlorella in the presence of copper at 4.0 mg L^-1 concentration. The total chlorophyll, protein and lipid content of the isolates were 1.7-3.45%, 0.43-0.70 mg g^-1 and 0.02-0.11 mg g^-1 respectively. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy analysis revealed that the percent composition of fatty acids varied among the species studied and the major group of fatty acids were C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2. Highest percent of fatty acids were found in C. vulgaris, C. protothecoides and C. pyrenoidosa. Copper have an impact on Chlorella species where biomass content was directly proportional to the lipid productivity. The results reflects the fact that copper stress on Chlorella species as the evidence of lipid production in both qualitative and quantitative manner. In conclusion, Chlorella species can be used for the sustainable producion of renewable energy through copper stress and removal of copper from aqueous solutions.