Evaluation of biomass growth, β-carotene, and lipid accumulation on Dunaliella sp. under the effect of various salinity concentrations

Abstract

Environmental factors highly influence microalgal strain growth and chemical compositions. Parameter salinity plays a key role in the growth of halotolerant microalgae, especially Dunaliella sp. Therefore, Dunaliena sp.'s resilience at various salinity concentrations was investigated by monitoring the development, biomass productivity, pigment concentration, and lipid accumulation. The growth and biomass productivity were found to be significantly higher at triple the concentration of salinity than the standard concentration. The lipids and pigments were extracted and analyzed by HPLC. The results show that algal growth and accumulation of beta-carotene and lipids were strongly influenced by salinity level in nutrient media. The pigment and lipid composition were analyzed rapidly by HPLC and confirmed the potential of Dunaliella sp. biomass for commercial applications.