Screening of Fresh water and Sea water Microalgae strains from Qatar for feed supplement production

The worldwide continuous increasing of population provokes an increasing awareness about the food security. Qatar is one of the first countries establishing a Food Security Strategy Program to satisfy the demand of food and feed. Microalgae is considered as one of the most promising solution based on its ability to produce the essential elements needed for food and feed such as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins... In Qatar University, a diverse collection of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria strains isolated from different environments was established (QUCCCM). Microalgae, These photosynthetic microorganisms are capable of converting solar energy into useful compounds. Microalgae accumulate several kinds of metabolites such as proteins (6-52%), lipids (7-23%), carbohydrates (5-23%). In addition, microalgae produce have the ability to produce high-value metabolites. The aim of our work was to screen the QUCCCM and identify potential strains with high nutritional value for use as feed for poultry and livestock. In this study, Microalgal isolates belonging to 12 different species were investigated for their eligibility to be used as a feed. All strains were cultivated over a period of 10 to15 days depending on species. Optical Density and Dry weights were recorded every three days to follow the algal Growth. The results showed the presence of three categories of isolates (fast, medium and slow growing). Among them, the species Chlamydomonas sp. presented the highest growth rate (?) with 0.89day ? 1 � 0.27 and a doubling time of 1.28/ day. Based on this result, the fast-growing strains were subjected to metabolite investigations in terms of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids and Fatty acids to select the ideal strain(s) presenting high growth rate along with metabolites valuable for algae-based feed supplement. The highest protein and Lipid content was observed in the case of a freshwater strain belonging to the Mychonastes sp.with ? 50% w/w and 40.7% � 0.015 respectively. Carbohydrates were seen highest in Chlorococcum sp.with a value of 30% � 0.009%. Considering the marine strains, the isolates had a similar range of protein, Lipids and Carbohydrates content of (22%-34%), (32%-39%) and (8%-20%) respectively. Based on this study, one marine strain (Pichochloris sp.) having 33% � 0.021 content of protein and 32.7% � 0.036 as lipid, and one freshwater (Mychonastes sp.) holding the highest amount of metabolites were selected for deeply investigations in terms of FAME and Amino acid profiling which are crucial parameters that determine the feed quality. The results showed the presence of different essential Amino acids in the total protein fraction. Fatty acid profiling comprised saturated and unsaturated fats for all strains; most of them being rich with C18:0; C16:0 and C16:3. For the selected strains, the metabolite content during the growth period was followed by sampling every 3 days in order to identify the stage having high productivity and rich metabolite content. The analysis of the isolates showed an increase in the production of each metabolite during the growth, wherein lipids and protein amounts are relatively high while carbohydrates were comparatively low. These two selected strains will be improved in terms of lipid and protein production using media and salinity stress in order to enhance the production of essential nutrients such as omegas, amino acids and used for animal bioassay. In Conclusion, this study showed the existence of a diverse and rich collection of valuable strains with important metabolites that can support the country's food security program, by providing microalgae to supplement animal feed. Additionally, the potential candidates can be used for commercial applications.qscienc

Mychonastes homosphaera (Chlorophyceae): A promising feedstock for high quality feed production in the arid environment

Rapid development and drastic population increase in Qatar have led to increasing awareness about food security. Microalgae are considered one of the most promising feedstocks owing to their ability to produce nutrients, including lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, in addition to antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. In this study, 30 isolates of local freshwater microalgae were screened first based on their growth rate to select the most suitable strains for feed production. Based on the normality test, 15 fast-growing microalgae isolates were selected and subjected to further investigation of their metabolites content. The hierarchical Cluster Analysis conducted on lipids, proteins and carbohydrates contents subdivided these strains selected into 4 clusters, among them, the cluster one was grouping three Chlorella and two Mychonastes isolates with high nutritional values due to their high amounts of lipid and protein. The survey of metabolite production was performed every three days during growth in a volume of 3 L. We observed that the maximum amount of proteins and lipids was produced at day 6 and 14, respectively. The assessment of the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of the top 5 strains proved that Mychonastes homosphaera isolate QUCCCM70 showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Moreover, results revealed the presence of essential amino acids and omega3 fatty acids. The screening evidenced a Mychonastes homosphaera strain QUCCCM70 with high nutritional value that can be considered as a promising alternative to produce a well-balanced animal feed supplement for a high quality of poultry and livestock products.This publication was made possible by the NPRP grant # [NPRP8-1087-1-207] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The findings herein reflect the work, and are solely the responsability of the authors. Special thanks go to Anna Aguilar and Pedram Shahbazi and Maaroof Eroth for the technical support

Isolation, cultivation, and characterization of novel local marine micro-algae for aquaculture feed supplement production

Aquaculture is considered as a promising alternative to support the food demands of the ever-increasing population. Currently, this sector faces several challenges such as using fishmeal, which is unsustainable and expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to identify an alternative feed component that is sustainable, cost-effective and can provide the essential nutrients required by the fish. In this context, microalgae are considered as a viable source of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides and high-value products (HVPs) such as essential fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins. They play a vital role in the marine food chain and hence can be easily assimilated by the fish. The current research targeted the isolation, identification and characterization of novel marine microalgae from Qatar coastline to produce aquaculture feed supplement. As the climate poses a number of stress factors, such as high light intensities, temperatures and varying salinities, it is expected that novel microalgae with interesting metabolite profiles can be isolated from the environment for developing aquaculture sector in Qatar. Standard plating methods were used to isolate halophilic strains from field waters. PCR-sequencing was used to identify the novel microalgae, cyanobacteria and Diatom isolates. Then a comparative analysis of the growth performance and metabolite content was performed to characterize these strains. Results evidenced that the cyanobacteria strain exhibited the highest biomass productivity of 51.4 mg L-1day-1 whereas the highest lipid content was observed in the novel diatom isolate ranging up to 28.62% and the highest amount of carotenoids was detected in the case of the microalgae. As in conclusion, a rich feed supplement blending the three isolates can be considered as an alternative to fishmeal. As a continuation of this research, the potential strains will be cultivated under various stress to increase their nutritional value

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Sustainable Food Production and Nutraceutical Applications from Qatar Desert Chlorella sp. (Chlorophyceae)

Microalgae isolated from the Qatari desert was identified as thermotolerant, with a rich metabolite profile that is appropriate for use as food and health supplements. In this research, a species of Chlorella, QUCCCM3, from the Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae, was investigated for its growth characteristics and metabolite compositions for use as potential feedstock for food production. The strain was cultivated at 30, 35, and 40 °C, covering the annual average low and high temperatures in Qatar. The highest growth rates were recorded for cultures at 30 °C with 0.64 ± 0.04 day−1, followed by a growth rate of 0.54 ± 0.06 day−1 at 40 °C, indicating its thermotolerance ability. The biomass exhibited a high protein content (43 ± 2.3%), with existence of lysine (4.13%) as an essential amino acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid as important omega fatty acids present. On the other hand, Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 also exhibited a high capacity for scavenging free radicals with an antiproliferative effect against chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cancer cells. The results indicate that Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 is a promising candidate that can be produced year-round, in the Qatar environment, for commercial applications such as feed and nutraceutical supplements

Algae-based biofertilizer for date palm cultivation in Qatar

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the main fruit crop found in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It naturally adapts to the adverse environments of extreme heat and water scarcity and prevents further desertification in addition to producing fruits with high nutritional value. It is seen in many parts of the world that traditional cultivation practices such as mixed planting and chemical fertilizers have led to low fruit quality resulting in low market values. Long generation time also hinders production of the dates. Tissue culture is therefore considered the most promising solution for rapid large-scale production of true-to-type clonal plants. The plantlets originating from in vitro callus proliferation are transferred from synthetic media to soil. The conventional method of using chemical fertilizers also leads to low plantlet viability with increased environmental and health risk. The current research targets the use of a local microalga, Tetraselmis sp. QUCCCM8, identified as an organic source of nutrients, a substitute for chemical fertilizers to acclimatize cultured date palmlets to soil. Soil was supplemented with different concentrations of algal biomass and plant growth was monitored for 3 months. Soil without any fertilizer and soil amended with 1 g conventional fertilizer were used as negative and positive control, respectively. Supplementation with 0.5 g of algal biomass led to higher plant growth rates, 100% survival rates, high ability of rooting (3.17 ± 0.14 roots), higher number of leaves (2.5 ± 0.25 leaves), largest stem thickness, longer shoot (33.75 ± 1.56 cm), and higher total chlorophyll (159.61 ± 9.6 mg L⁻¹) as compared to conventional fertilizer. These stated findings are significantly higher than the control. Furthermore, elemental analysis of the soil showed that supplementation with algal biomass increased the soil total nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus contents essential for plant growth. Finally, the comparison of heavy metals composition between soils amended with conventional fertilizer and algae-based fertilizer highlights the potential use of algae as a safe and efficient biofertilizer post tissue culture mode of plantlet generation. This enhanced the viability of healthy plantlets without affecting the environment, averting usage of chemical fertilizer

Amanitore and Natakamani at Dangeil: reconstruction the sacred landscape of the 1st century CE

The sacred building program and landscape at Dangeil Sudan, initiated by the Kushite Rulers Natakamani and Amanitore during the 1st century CE is reviewed and evaluated

Assessment of SnO2 nanoparticles' impact on local Pichoclorum atomus growth performance, cell morphology and metabolites content

Oxide nanoparticles are among the most used nanomaterials and have received considerable attention over their potential ecological effects. Increasing investigations report toxicity of certain oxide nanoparticles, however, there are also studies showing opposite results, [1] highlighting the fact that these nanoparticles may differ in their toxicological effects, which depend on particle variety and size, test organism species, and test method. The current study investigates the ecotoxicity of SnO2 nanoparticles on a local marine algae isolate. Five different concentrations (1, 5, 25, 50 and 100mg/L) were tested and the culture was followed for 72h. Algae growth, morphology and metabolites were followed each 24h. The obtained data showed that the SnO2 presented a toxicity on the algae growth that was decreasing with the dose, with lower doses presenting more negative impacts than the higher doses. In parallel, the slow growth observed at 1-5 mg/L was explained by the dramatic damages caused by the SnO2 on the cell morphology, which was detected using the scanning electronic microscopy. Indeed, this low negative impact of higher concentrations of SnO2 (50-100mg/L) is explained by the high agglomeration of ten particles leading to reduced effect on the cell morphology and health. Furthermore, and in accordance with the morphological data, the metabolites analysis data revealed that SnO2 nanoparticles induced stress, which was manifested by an increase in the lipid content and decrease in the proteins, a metabolite that is involved in the algal growth. [1]: M. Heinlaan, A. Ivask, I. Blinova, H.C. Dubourguier, A. Kahru. Toxicity of nanosized and bulk ZnO, CuO and TiO2 to bacteria Vibrio fischeri and crustaceans Daphnia magna and Thamnocephalus platyurus. Chemosphere, 71 (2008), pp. 1308-1316

Sustainable food production and nutraceutical applications from qatar desert chlorella sp. (chlorophyceae)

Microalgae isolated from the Qatari desert was identified as thermotolerant, with a rich metabolite profile that is appropriate for use as food and health supplements. In this research, a species of Chlorella, QUCCCM3, from the Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae, was investigated for its growth characteristics and metabolite compositions for use as potential feedstock for food production. The strain was cultivated at 30, 35, and 40◦C, covering the annual average low and high temperatures in Qatar. The highest growth rates were recorded for cultures at 30◦C with 0.64 ± 0.04 day−1, followed by a growth rate of 0.54 ± 0.06 day−1 at 40◦C, indicating its thermotolerance ability. The biomass exhibited a high protein content (43 ± 2.3%), with existence of lysine (4.13%) as an essential amino acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid as important omega fatty acids present. On the other hand, Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 also exhibited a high capacity for scavenging free radicals with an antiproliferative effect against chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cancer cells. The results indicate that Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 is a promising candidate that can be produced year-round, in the Qatar environment, for commercial applications such as feed and nutraceutical supplements.This report was made possible by the NPRP award (NPRP8-1087-1-207) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation)

Sustainable production of nannochloris atomus biomass towards biodiesel production

Nannochloris atomus (QUCCCM31) is a local marine microalga showing potential to serve as renewable feedstock for biodiesel production. The investigation of the impact of temperature variation and nitrogen concentrations on the biomass and lipid productivities evidenced that biomass productivity increased with the temperature to reach an optimum of 195 mgL-1 d-1 at 30 °C. Similarly, the lipid content was strongly influenced by the elevation of temperature; indeed, it increased up to ~3 folds when the temperature increased from 20 to 40 °C. When both stresses were combined, triacylglycerols and lipid productivity reached a maximum of 45% and 88 mgL-1 d-1, respectively at 40 °C. Cultures under high temperatures along with Nitrogen-Depleted (ND) favored the synthesis of Fatty Acids Methyl Ester (FAMEs) suitable for high quality biodiesel production, whereas cultures conducted at low temperature coupled with Nitrogen-Limited (NL) led to a production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Our results support the feasibility of cultivating the thermotolerant isolate QUCCCM31 year-round to meet the sustainability challenges of algal biomass production by growing under temperature and nitrogen variations. The presence of omega 3 and 9 fatty acids as valuable co-products will help in reducing the total process cost via biorefinery.This report was made possible by the NPRP award (NPRP8-1087-1-207) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation)