Production of polyhydroxybutyrate by cyanobacteria Spirulina sp. under concentrations of mineral salts stress

Today, due to the high consumption of biodegradable resistant polymers, there is a huge problem of the accumulation of polymer waste in nature. Polyhydroxyalkonoates are biodegradable compounds that are very much considered for replacement with synthetic plastics. In this study, the effects of salt concentration changes on the production of polyhydroxybutyrate by cyanobacteria Spirulina sp. were investigated. Spirulina was cultured in Zarrouk medium containing half (1/2X), equal (X, as control), double (2X) and triple (3X) salt concentrations for 20 days. Quality and quantity of polyhydroxybutyrate were analyzed by measuring growth, protein content and lipid peroxidation. The growth rate of Spirulina sp. in the medium containing increased and decreased concentrations of salts did not change significantly. However, lipid peroxidation and protein increased and decreased, respectively, by increasing salt concentration to 3 times as compared to control. The amount of polyhydroxybutyrate under salt concentrations of 1/2X, X, 2X and 3X were 0.011, 0.014, 0.019 and 0.006 (g/g dcw) respectively. As a result, treatment with 2X salt concentration is more suitable for polyhydroxybutyrate producing than other treatments.