13.9 Commercial Production and Applications
307
terms of economic feasibility (Chia et al. 2018). However, as fossil fuels continue to
deplete further against unrelenting increasing global consumption closely associated
with population growth, alternative sources of versatile resources such as starch
become more important; therefore, all alternative sources become important.
Commercial production of starch from algae would benefit much from the technique of nutrient starvation which results in optimal yield. This would mean less
expense on nutrients unlike in terrestrial crop farming where fertilizers are constantly required for plant growth. Nutrient is required to reach the desired growth
phase, and this is then followed by nutrient starvation which yields an increase in
starch production. This is accompanied by reduced biomass production and as much
of the nutrient available in this stressful period is then directed toward energy production for basic survival. This increased production of starch by plant during nutrient
starvation accompanied by reduced biomass production could further make the starch
extraction process more effective as more starch is present per unit mass.
Starch accumulation rate in green algae growing in the wild varies with season.
An example of such variation has been detected in green algae U. ohnoi (Prabhu et al.
2019) where winter conditions seem to favor optimal starch production in Tel Aviv,
Israel. This seasonal variation in starch content implies fluctuation in the quality of
raw materials sourced from wild at different periods; therefore, commercial starch
production from aquatic source requires cultivation in controlled photobioreactors
or aquaculture or storage facilities for those sourced from the wild to ensure constant
availability throughout the year.
13.10 Conclusion
A variety of sources of starch exist in the aquatic environment. The growth rate and
starch accumulation rate of these organisms can be further optimized by adequate
control of their growth system in controlled cultivation. They can also be sourced
from natural stocks as part of efforts to utilize natural resources which otherwise
cause environmental nuisance. To date, starch remains one of the algae resources
which is yet to be industrially explored. Although aquatic plants and algae have been
explored for other biopolymers such as alginate and proteins, when considering
a zero-waste marine biorefinery, it is important to have a refinery process which
integrates the extraction of starch alongside the other extractives from the aquatic
biomass since it makes up a significant weight fraction. The low lignin content
of aquatic sources of starch makes them a promising source of fermentable starch
for bioethanol production. Therefore, despite not having as diverse applications as
other polymers reviewed within this book, its potential application in a low-cost,
high-volume and highly valued product such as biofuel gives it high commercial
significance.
307
terms of economic feasibility (Chia et al. 2018). However, as fossil fuels continue to
deplete further against unrelenting increasing global consumption closely associated
with population growth, alternative sources of versatile resources such as starch
become more important; therefore, all alternative sources become important.
Commercial production of starch from algae would benefit much from the technique of nutrient starvation which results in optimal yield. This would mean less
expense on nutrients unlike in terrestrial crop farming where fertilizers are constantly required for plant growth. Nutrient is required to reach the desired growth
phase, and this is then followed by nutrient starvation which yields an increase in
starch production. This is accompanied by reduced biomass production and as much
of the nutrient available in this stressful period is then directed toward energy production for basic survival. This increased production of starch by plant during nutrient
starvation accompanied by reduced biomass production could further make the starch
extraction process more effective as more starch is present per unit mass.
Starch accumulation rate in green algae growing in the wild varies with season.
An example of such variation has been detected in green algae U. ohnoi (Prabhu et al.
2019) where winter conditions seem to favor optimal starch production in Tel Aviv,
Israel. This seasonal variation in starch content implies fluctuation in the quality of
raw materials sourced from wild at different periods; therefore, commercial starch
production from aquatic source requires cultivation in controlled photobioreactors
or aquaculture or storage facilities for those sourced from the wild to ensure constant
availability throughout the year.
13.10 Conclusion
A variety of sources of starch exist in the aquatic environment. The growth rate and
starch accumulation rate of these organisms can be further optimized by adequate
control of their growth system in controlled cultivation. They can also be sourced
from natural stocks as part of efforts to utilize natural resources which otherwise
cause environmental nuisance. To date, starch remains one of the algae resources
which is yet to be industrially explored. Although aquatic plants and algae have been
explored for other biopolymers such as alginate and proteins, when considering
a zero-waste marine biorefinery, it is important to have a refinery process which
integrates the extraction of starch alongside the other extractives from the aquatic
biomass since it makes up a significant weight fraction. The low lignin content
of aquatic sources of starch makes them a promising source of fermentable starch
for bioethanol production. Therefore, despite not having as diverse applications as
other polymers reviewed within this book, its potential application in a low-cost,
high-volume and highly valued product such as biofuel gives it high commercial
significance.