Fatty Acids, Minerals Composition, and Antimicrobial Activity of the Blue-Green Microalga (Spirulina platensis ) Isolated from Qilyasan Stream, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq

Farkha, Trifa K. J.

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2023.328087

Fatty Acids, Minerals Composition, and Antimicrobial Activity of the Blue-Green Microalga (Spirulina platensis ) Isolated from Qilyasan Stream, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Trifa K. J. Farkha

10.21608/ejabf.2023.328087

Abstract

Arthrospira platensis (homotypic synonym Spirulina platensis) is a member of the family Microcoleaceae, which was referred to as Spirulina platensis throughout this paper. S. platensis holds a significant nutritional value due to the presence of important secondary metabolites. The current study aimed to analyze the fatty acids, minerals composition, and antimicrobial activities of Spirulina platensis isolated from Qliyasan stream water. For the extracts of S. platensis, two distinct organic solvents, ethanol, and ethyl-acetate, were utilized to achieve this purpose. Furthermore, crude extracts of S. platensis were evaluated in vitro against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus niger using a well diffusion assay method. According to the findings of this study, nine fatty acids were investigated using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Results revealed that ᵅ- linoleic acid C18:3 (omega 3) constituted the highest percentage (23.734%), followed by oleic acid C18:1 (17.159%). Additionally, the concentrations of 14 types of minerals were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The highest concentration value of magnesium (Mg) was 6548µg/ gm, followed by iron (Fe) at 1250µg/ gm. The antimicrobial activity of crude extract of S. platensis by ethanol proved to be more efficient than ethyl-acetate against bacterial models. The highest inhibition zone diameter was recorded against E. coli at 16.3mm, while ethyl-acetate extract was more effective against Aspergillus niger with an inhibition zone diameter of 12.3mm, compared to the bacterial pathogens.

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