Review
Microbiology
Angela Sanchez-Quintero, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Jean-Baptiste Beigbeder
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive review on the development of microalgae and cyanobacteria based biostimulants, focusing on cultivation, extraction and application techniques. The study suggests that microalgae and cyanobacteria can be produced on a large scale at low cost using wastewater and CO2, while integrating local and circular economy approaches.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Angela Brito, Mariana Rocha, Jan Kastovsky, Jorge Vieira, Cristina P. Vieira, Vitor Ramos, Manuel Correia, Marina Santos, Rita Mota, Jessica Roque, Joao Pissarra, Paula Melo, Paula Tamagnini
Summary: The new terrestrial cyanobacterial species Oculatella lusitanica exhibits distinctive characteristics and can mitigate the negative impact of salt stress on plants, as well as activate plant defense mechanisms under non-stress conditions.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Wenli Sun, Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian
Summary: Biostimulant application is an effective and sustainable way to supplement crop nutrition, reduce excessive fertilization, and protect plants from environmental stresses. Biostimulants, both microbial and non-microbial, provide beneficial properties to plants, promote crop yield and quality, and enhance soil fertility. Among microbial biostimulants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by improving nutrient availability, uptake, and assimilation, increasing plant stress tolerance, and reducing soil erosion. Further research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of different biostimulants in sustainable agriculture.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rahul Vijay Kapoore, Eleanor E. Wood, Carole A. Llewellyn
Summary: Sustaining the growing human population during climate changes requires enhanced crop quality and quantity for global food security. Transitioning to a bio-based economy through sustainable circular economy and biorefinery approaches is crucial. While macroalgae biostimulants have been well explored, commercial implementation of microalgal biostimulants is constrained by lack of research and high production costs.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ainoa Morillas-Espana, Tomas Lafarga, Ana Sanchez-Zurano, Francisco Gabriel Acien-Fernandez, Cynthia Gonzalez-Lopez
Summary: Microalgae based wastewater treatment is a viable strategy for recovering nutrients and producing clean water, with the added benefit of valuable biomass production. Promising results have been reported, but further research and scale-up are needed to enhance industrial relevance.
Article
Agronomy
Jessica Roque, Angela Brito, Mariana Rocha, Joao Pissarra, Telma Nunes, Marcia Bessa, Jorge Vieira, Cristina P. Vieira, Paula Melo, Paula Tamagnini
Summary: This study aimed to isolate and characterize cyanobacteria/microalgae from Portuguese soils and evaluate their potential as plant biostimulants, as well as understand their mechanisms of action. The results showed that these microorganisms have biostimulant potential, promoting plant growth and improving physiological productivity under hydroponic conditions, without causing stress. This study is important for understanding the biodiversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae and their potential as biostimulants.
Article
Agronomy
Nadege Adouke Agbodjato, Toussaint Mikpon, Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Durand Dah-Nouvlessounon, Olarewadjou Amogou, Halfane Lehmane, Marcel Yevedo Adoko, Adolphe Adjanohoun, Lamine Baba-Moussa
Summary: This study evaluated the tolerance of a Pseudomonas putida strain and its synergistic effect with chitosan on maize growth. Results showed that the strain exhibited excellent resistance and chitosan significantly improved maize growth.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gaia Santini, Liliana Rodolfi, Natascia Biondi, Giacomo Sampietro, Mario R. Tredici
Summary: This study evaluated the biostimulant activity of five cyanobacterial hydrolysates on Ocimum basilicum L. grown in hydroponics. The results showed that three of the tested cyanobacterial hydrolysates were effective in promoting plant growth and increasing the number and weight of leaves, and outperformed commercial biostimulants. The biochemical characterization suggested that the observed bioactivity may be related to a high carbohydrate content in the hydrolysates.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Adoracion Barros-Rodriguez, Pharada Rangseekaew, Krisana Lasudee, Wasu Pathom-aree, Maximino Manzanera
Summary: Agriculture plays a significant role in reducing biodiversity and altering the environment, leading to major environmental threats. In order to mitigate these impacts, the use of microorganisms as biostimulants can help minimize the detrimental effects of agricultural practices on ecosystems.
Review
Agronomy
Pramod Rathor, Linda Yuya Gorim, Malinda S. S. Thilakarathna
Summary: The global population growth has led to concerns about food security. The use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers has negatively impacted arable lands, water resources, and the environment. Incorporating biostimulants from sustainable resources, such as humic substances, can reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and promote plant growth.
Review
Plant Sciences
Chanda Mutale-Joan, Laila Sbabou, El Arroussi Hicham
Summary: With the growing population and environmental issues, finding sustainable solutions for crop production has become urgent. This review discusses the potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria as alternative food resources and plant biostimulants, as well as their applications in improving soil quality, increasing crop yield, and enhancing stress tolerance.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Khanjan Trivedi, K. G. Vijay Anand, Pradipkumar Vaghela, Alan T. Critchley, Pushp Sheel Shukla, Arup Ghosh
Summary: The indiscriminate or non-strategic use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture can have harmful effects on natural ecosystems. Seaweed-based biostimulants are being widely studied as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic nutrient inputs to increase agricultural productivity. Kappaphycus alvarezii, a tropical red alga, contains bioactive compounds that improve plant growth and resilience to stressors. Various K. alvarezii-based biostimulants have been used in agriculture to enhance growth, yield, nutrient uptake, and resilience.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Iva Guidini Lopes, Jean W. H. Yong, Cecilia Lalander
Summary: Inadequately treated biodegradable waste poses a threat to the environment, society, and economy. Waste treatment using black soldier fly larvae offers the possibility of transforming these wastes into marketable products and promoting circular economy. However, there are still many unknown aspects regarding the processing residues, such as their composition, behavior in soil, and impact on plant metabolism.
Article
Agronomy
Federica Caradonia, Domenico Ronga, Aldo Tava, Enrico Francia
Summary: In modern agriculture, reducing environmental impact while ensuring high and stable yield and quality is crucial. Utilizing plant biostimulants in potato production, particularly seaweed extract and humic substances, has shown significant benefits in improving soil nutrient availability and nutrient use efficiency.
Article
Forestry
Danilo Escobar-Avello, Victor Ferrer, Gaston Bravo-Arrepol, Pablo Reyes-Contreras, Juan P. Elissetche, Jorge Santos, Cecilia Fuentealba, Gustavo Cabrera-Barjas
Summary: This study evaluated the physicochemical properties of water-extracted bark from eucalyptus and pine trees and assessed the potential phytotoxicity of the extracted bark alone and mixed with commercial substrates. The optimal mixture for seed growth was determined to be 75% extracted eucalyptus bark fiber and 25% commercial substrates, which shows potential for use in horticultural crops and the plant nursery industry.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Silvia Maiolo, Giuliana Parisi, Natascia Biondi, Fernando Lunelli, Emilio Tibaldi, Roberto Pastres
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Elisa Piampiano, Francesco Pini, Natascia Biondi, Carlos J. Garcia, Francesca Decorosi, Francisco A. Tomas-Barberan, Luciana Giovannetti, Carlo Viti
Summary: Algae and bacteria establish complex relationships that reciprocally influence their growth. Different bacterial isolates from the phycosphere community may contribute in similar ways to boosting algal growth. Bacteria with growth-promoting features can alter microalgae metabolism and physiology, affecting biomass yield and quality.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alberto Niccolai, Kaja Bazec, Liliana Rodolfi, Natascia Biondi, Emil Zlatic, Polona Jamnik, Mario R. Tredici
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Alberto Niccolai, Manuel Venturi, Viola Galli, Niccolo Pini, Liliana Rodolfi, Natascia Biondi, Lisa Granchi, Mario R. Tredici
Summary: This study found that extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil have a protective effect against the degradation of phycocyanin in spirulina, helping to maintain the content of phycocyanin in the product.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Julian Wichmann, Kyle J. Lauersen, Natascia Biondi, Magnus Christensen, Tiago Guerra, Klaus Hellgardt, Simon Kuehner, Markku Kuronen, Pia Lindberg, Christine Roesch, Ian S. Yunus, Patrik Jones, Peter Lindblad, Olaf Kruse
Summary: The EU Horizon2020 consortium PHOTOFUEL has made significant progress in developing engine-ready fuels from CO2 through engineered photosynthetic microbes, with collaboration from academic and industrial partners across various fields. Opportunities and challenges in technical, environmental, economic, and societal aspects were explored to frame future technology realization at scale.
TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Matilde Ciani, Antonio Lippolis, Federico Fava, Liliana Rodolfi, Alberto Niccolai, Mario R. Tredici
Summary: Projections estimate that by 2050 there will be around 10 billion people on Earth, requiring an increase of over 60% in food production. Food security will be a global concern, necessitating disruptive technologies to improve efficiency. Production of microbial protein is gaining attention as an innovative solution.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kirsten Gaber, Christine Roesch, Natascia Biondi
Summary: The study analyzed the environmental sustainability of microalgae cultivation for total fatty acid production using life cycle assessment. Results showed that environmental impacts were reduced by 15% at the site with optimal growth conditions. Energy demand during plant operation, infrastructure, and nutrient demand accounted for 60-80% of the impacts, while nutrient recycling and energy credit from hydrothermal liquefaction process reduced impacts by an average of 11%. Additionally, renewable energy supply led to an average reduction of 36% for global warming potential and most other impact categories, when combined with nutrient recycling, the reduction was about 45%.
BIOENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Elisabetta Bigagli, Mario D'Ambrosio, Lorenzo Cinci, Alberto Niccolai, Natascia Biondi, Liliana Rodolfi, Luana Beatriz Dos Santos Nascimiento, Mario R. Tredici, Cristina Luceri
Summary: The study compared the effects of T. lutea F&M-M36 methanolic extract with fucoxanthin (FX) on LPS-stimulated macrophages. The extract showed potent anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2/PGE2 and NLRP3/mir-223, possibly due to synergistic effects with FX and simple phenolic compounds. T. lutea F&M-M36 may be a potential source of anti-inflammatory compounds for further evaluation in inflammation models.
Article
Fisheries
R. Cerri, A. Niccolai, G. Cardinaletti, F. Tulli, F. Mina, E. Daniso, T. Bongiorno, G. Chini Zittelli, N. Biondi, M. R. Tredici, E. Tibaldi
Summary: Despite limited information on the nutritive value of microalgae and cyanobacteria for carnivorous fish species, this study evaluated the chemical composition and nutrient digestibility of dried whole-cell biomasses. Results showed heterogeneous composition and nutrient profile among the tested microalgae and cyanobacteria, suggesting their potential as alternative protein sources for aquafeeds. Rainbow trout digestion studies ranked the biomasses into two groups based on crude protein and energy digestibility, highlighting the importance of cell-wall structure/composition in nutrient accessibility.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Valentina Zanolla, Natascia Biondi, Alberto Niccolai, Fabian Abiusi, Alessandra Adessi, Liliana Rodolfi, Mario R. Tredici
Summary: This study compared two strains of Arthrospira platensis in terms of biomass productivity, protein, C-phycocyanin, and polysaccharide content. The results showed no significant difference in biomass productivity between the two strains, but variations in protein and polysaccharide content were observed. A. platensis F&M-C256 was found to be suitable for polysaccharide production.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gaia Santini, Liliana Rodolfi, Natascia Biondi, Giacomo Sampietro, Mario R. Tredici
Summary: This study evaluated the biostimulant activity of five cyanobacterial hydrolysates on Ocimum basilicum L. grown in hydroponics. The results showed that three of the tested cyanobacterial hydrolysates were effective in promoting plant growth and increasing the number and weight of leaves, and outperformed commercial biostimulants. The biochemical characterization suggested that the observed bioactivity may be related to a high carbohydrate content in the hydrolysates.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ilaria Clemente, Stefania Lamponi, Gabriella Tamasi, Liliana Rodolfi, Claudio Rossi, Sandra Ristori
Summary: Biocompatible nanocarriers can be obtained from natural sources such as algal biomasses, which are suitable for encapsulating and delivering poorly water-soluble compounds. These nanocarriers can self-assemble into different structures and have the advantage of increased carrier-target biocompatibility.
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Jose Iglesias, Raquel Soengas, Fernando Lopez-Ortiz, Natascia Biondi, Mario R. Tredici, Ignacio Gutierrez-del-Rio, Sara Lopez-Ibanez, Claudio J. Villar, Felipe Lombo, Yuly Lopez, Yaiza Gabasa, Sara Soto
Summary: The metabolic composition of Dunaliella tertiolecta RCC6 was investigated through NMR spectroscopy by cultivating it under different light and temperature conditions and extracting the active ingredients. The results showed that light had a clear effect on chlorophyll biosynthesis, with higher chlorophyll content obtained under lower light intensity. Under high temperature and light conditions, there was an accumulation of triacylglycerols in the hexane extracts. Furthermore, the hexane extract obtained under high temperature and irradiance conditions in the semi-continuous regimen showed promising minimal biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) against Escherichia coli.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)