Cell Wall Rupture of Microalgae

Introduction

Most of the bioactive compounds of microalgae are stored intracellularly and require cell wall rupture for recovery. The wide application of microalgal biomass as feedstock also encounters the challenge of efficient recovery of intracellular active compounds from biomass, where the elastic cell wall structure of some microalgal species becomes an obstacle to the industrial development of microalgae. In most cases, solvents are used to extract intracellular compounds from untreated, chemically treated, or mechanically treated biomass. However, due to the insect resistance, complexity, and diversity of microalgal cell walls, extraction of compounds from intracellular cells require high energy input or large amounts of chemicals. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective and low-cost cell fragmentation techniques to pretreat algal biomass to release bioactive compounds stored in the cells.

Fig 1. First steps in microalgae production, from cultivation to harvesting and cell disruption, for extraction or recovery of intracellular and extracellular components. (Corrêa P S, et al., 2020)

Customized Solutions

The first step in isolating and identifying microalgal bioactive compounds is microalgal cell fragmentation. Our skilled scientists have been working on the biochemical components of microalgal cell walls for many years. They are very familiar with the structure, composition, and biosynthesis of microalgal cell walls. Here at Lifeasible, we provide expert microalgal cell wall rupture service by employing various energy-efficient cell fragmentation techniques to maximize the extraction of desired active compounds from microalgal biomass.

Based on your desired end bioactive product, we will develop the best microalgae cell wall pretreatment solution.

Mechanical and Physical Methods

• Solid or liquid shears, such as bead milling, high speed, or high-pressure homogenization.
• Waves, such as microwave irradiation, ultrasonic treatment, or laser
• Electric current, such as a pulsed electric field.
• Heat, such as autoclaving, freezing/thawing cycles, and pyrolysis.

Non-Mechanical Methods

• Chemical methods. We use solvents, acids, bases, hypochlorites, antibiotics, decontaminants, and other chemicals to promote cell rupture in microalgae.
• Osmotic shock. We use high concentrations of solutes (salt, dextran, or polyethylene glycol) to lower the osmotic pressure, which leads to microalgae cell wall damage.
• Enzymic methods. We use cellulase, protease, lysozyme, and dextranase to perform a highly selective microalgal cell destruction.

Advantages of the Microalgal Cell Wall Rupture Methods

Mechanical and Physical Methods

• Non-selective.
• Non-toxic.
• Faster but with high energy consumption.
• Suitable for large scale.

Chemical Methods

• Non-selective.
• Toxic.
• Chemical contamination.
• Reduces bio compounds stability.
• Less suitable for large scale.

Enzymic Method

• Selective.
• Less toxic.
• High time consumption.
• Expensive.
• Less suitable for large scale.

Depending on the microalgae species and the nature of the target product, we will select the appropriate microalgal cell rupture method for you to improve the extraction efficiency and quality of the bioactive compound and lay the foundation for the subsequent purification steps. If you are interested in our solutions for cell wall rupture of microalgae, please contact us directly.