EFFECT OF NaCl CONCENTRATION ON THE PRODUCTION OF Arthrospira maxima CULTIVATED IN THE HUMID TROPICS

The production of microbial biomass can be affected by the composition of the culture medium, including the content of salts and there is little information in terms of the NaCl concentration. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the addition of different NaCl concentrations (0.0, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 g L-1) in a Jourdan medium was evaluated on cell growth and physical and chemical properties of Arthrospira maxima cultivated in the region of Cordoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The experiment was established under a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement (AxB). During the production stage, cell growth and morphology of filaments were evaluated, and after harvesting, the physical and chemical analysis (moisture, crude fiber, total protein and lipid content, mineral composition, photosynthetic compounds, antioxidant activity, and structural composition through FTIR-Spectroscopy analysis) of A. maxima was performed. Results obtained show that the addition of NaCl did not affect cell development, the morphology of the filaments, or the content of photosynthetic compounds. The maximum rate of biomass production in all treatments was at 6 d, without significant differences (p > 0.05) among treatments. In all treatments, A. maxima showed adequate concentrations of protein and minerals, as well as antioxidant activity. FTIR spectra showed absorption bands associated with proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. A decrease in the amide I and amide II bands of the proteins was observed with the addition of NaCl. A. maxima cultivated in these tropical climatic conditions had excellent properties to be used as a functional ingredient in the development of innovative and biotechnological food products for human consumption.