Towards sustainable spirulina farming: Enhancing productivity and biosafety with a salinity-biostimulants strategy

Chunli Yu; Jiahui Zheng; Yuqin Zhang; Yao Hu; Wei Luo; Jing Zhang; Jianfeng Yu; Jin Liu; Peter J Nixon; Wenguang Zhou; Shengxi Shao

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132043

Towards sustainable spirulina farming: Enhancing productivity and biosafety with a salinity-biostimulants strategy

Bioresour Technol. 2025 Jan 6:132043. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132043. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chunli Yu¹, Jiahui Zheng¹, Yuqin Zhang¹, Yao Hu¹, Wei Luo¹, Jing Zhang¹, Jianfeng Yu², Jin Liu³, Peter J Nixon², Wenguang Zhou⁴, Shengxi Shao⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, and School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
² Nanchang University-Imperial College London Joint Laboratory on Photosynthesis and Low Carbon Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
³ Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, and School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Center for Algae Innovation & Engineering Research, School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China; Nanchang University-Imperial College London Joint Laboratory on Photosynthesis and Low Carbon Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, and School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Center for Algae Innovation & Engineering Research, School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China; Nanchang University-Imperial College London Joint Laboratory on Photosynthesis and Low Carbon Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, and School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Center for Algae Innovation & Engineering Research, School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China; Nanchang University-Imperial College London Joint Laboratory on Photosynthesis and Low Carbon Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39778684
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132043

Abstract

Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) is pivotal to the global microalgae industry, valued for its nutritional and bioactive properties. However, its sustainable production is challenged by freshwater scarcity and biological contaminants. This study introduces a salinity-biostimulants strategy to adapt a freshwater spirulina strain, CBD05, to near-seawater salinity (3 %). Exogenous glycine betaine (GB) and nitric oxide (NO), typical salinity enhancers, improved biomass productivity (0.36 g L^-1 d^-1), C-phycocyanin (C-PC) yield (83 mg L^-1 d^-1), and the economic output-to-input ratio was significantly enhanced. Metabolomic analysis linked salt tolerance to elevated amino acid accumulation, protein synthesis, and glycolysis, while transcriptional evidence highlighted enhanced carbon fixation and nitrogen assimilation towards C-PC synthesis upon addition of GB and NO. This strategy also demonstrated high resistance to Microcystis aeruginosa, a common contaminant in open systems. It provides a sustainable and cost-effective approach for industry-oriented spirulina production in freshwater-limited regions.

Keywords: Adaptive laboratory evolution; Carbon-nitrogen metabolism; Economic analysis; Microcystin pollution; Spirulina farming.