Abstract:
Microalgae currently find application in producing food additives, antioxidants, colorants, cosmetics, and medicines. Given the size of the global market for microalga-based products, any new technique of increasing microalgal biomass yield is expected to be of significant biotechnological and commercial importance. In this talk, we specifically deal with the microalgal species Scenedesmus quadricauda that is widely used to produce a wide spectrum of biologically active substances, including antioxidants and UV protectors such as asthaxanthin and b-carotene. In our previous research, we established that several substances known as neurotransmitters can considerably stimulate the growth of this microalga. In this talk, we present new data on the stimulatory effect of the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine on S. quadricauda growth. The presentation is also concerned with the impact of acetylcholine on the contents of various fatty acids in algal biomass. Our preliminary data testify to an increase in the content of unsaturated fatty acids that have much nutritional and therapeutic potential.
