Effect of Underground Seawater on Growth and Biochemical Composition of Spirulina (Arthrospira) maxima

Abstract

Underground seawater called lava seawater has been buried in the underground of eastern Jeju for 300,000 to 400,000 years. The seawater has been stored in the layers of basalt after being pushed to the underground by the osmotic pressure based on phase difference between the seabed and open sea. The seawater is similar to other seawater resources in sodium and magnesium, but it has relatively abundant rare minerals which are useful to living organisms such as vanadium (0.023mg/L), selenium (0.009 mg/L), zinc (0.009 mg/L) and iron (0.002 mg/L). Recently, commercialization of Jeju lava seawater began to take the initiative in the business for private sector in Korea. The aim of this study was to utilize the different percentage groups (DPG) among original lava seawater (OLS, 33 psu), mineral water (MW, 5 psu) and desalt water (DSW, 0 psu) as the modified culture media for a blue-green alga, Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima for 21 days. Thirty five culture media for the growth of A. maxima was manufactured by DPG aqueous solution instead of distilled water of SOT medium. In the ratio of OLS (1%) and DSW (99%), biomass production of A. maxima was 0.97±0.19 g/L. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin concentrations also reached a peak of 16.25 mg/g and 120.75 mg/g, respectively. In the ratio of MW (6%) and DSW (94%), biomass production of A. maxima was 0.77±0.13 g/L while the protein reached a peak of higher concentration. Chloroph