A comprehensive review on the heterotrophic production of bioactive compounds by microalgae.

Bioactive compounds derived from microalgae have garnered considerable attention as valuable resources for drugs, functional foods, and cosmetics. Among these compounds, photosynthetic pigments and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have gained increasing interest due to their numerous beneficial properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Several microalgae species have been identified as rich sources of bioactive compounds, including the Chlorophyceae Dunaliella and Haematococcus, the Bacillariophyta Phaeodactylum and Nitzschia, and the dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii. However, most of the reported microalgae species primarily grow through autotrophic mechanisms, resulting in low yields and high production costs of bioactive compounds. Consequently, the utilization of heterotrophic microalgae, such as Chromochloris zofingiensis and Nitzschia laevis, has shown significant advantages in the production of astaxanthin and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), respectively. These heterotrophic microalgae exhibit superior capabilities in synthesizing target compounds. This comprehensive review provides a thorough examination of the heterotrophic production of bioactive compounds by microalgae. It covers key aspects, including the metabolic pathways involved, the impact of cultivation conditions, and the practical applications of these compounds. The review discusses how heterotrophic cultivation strategies can be optimized to enhance bioactive compound yields, shedding light on the potential of microalgae as a valuable resource for high-value product development.

Probing the Interaction Mechanism of Sodium Oleate and Dodecyl Amine with Quartz Surfaces in the Presence of Ca2+ Ions by AFM Force Measurement.

Quartz is a key raw material in high-tech fields (such as photovoltaics and semiconductor microelectronics), and the most efficient extraction method of quartz is mineral flotation. Quartz activation plays a crucial role in mineral flotation. However, the mechanism underlying the process remains unclear, and the role of additional metal ions is controversial. In this study, the interaction forces between the quartz surface, the dodecylamine (DDA) cation/sodium oleate (NaOL) anion mixed collectors, and Ca2+ were analyzed using atomic force microscopy in order to systematically explore the activation process of quartz flotation. The results confirmed that the activation process was initialized from NaOL, which was adsorbed on the surface of a calcium-covered quartz surface. The existence of DDA inhibited the binding of Ca2+ to NaOL so that more Ca2+ was adsorbed on the quartz surface to provide the adsorption site for NaOL. Moreover, the best adsorption condition of Ca2+ + NaOL + DDA mixed solution was analyzed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, and it demonstrated that the most stable chemisorption environment on the quartz surface was at pH 11.0. In these circumstances, Ca2+ could first adsorb in a point-like manner on the quartz surface, which was then adsorbed with a mixture of NaOL and DDA. This result showed that, at a specific pH, Ca2+ could encourage the coadsorption of cationic/anionic mixed collectors on quartz. This work provides an important new understanding of the intermolecular interactions that take place during complex mineral flotation processes between chemical additives and mineral surfaces. The methodology used in this study can be easily adapted to different interfacial processes, including water treatment, membrane technology, bioengineering, and oil production.