Identification and culturing of cyanobacteria isolated from freshwater bodies of Sri Lanka for biodiesel production.

The present study was carried out to investigate cyanobacteria as a potential source for biodiesel production isolated from fresh water bodies of Sri Lanka. Semi mass culturing and mass culturing were carried out to obtain biomass for extracting total lipids. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or biodiesel was produced from extracted lipid by trans-esterification reaction. FAME component was identified using gas chromatography (GC). Atotal of 74 uni-algal cultures were obtained from Biofuel and Bioenergy laboratory of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Kandy, Sri Lanka. The total lipid content was recorded highest in Oscillatoria sp. (31.9 ± 2.01% of dry biomass) followed by Synechococcus sp. (30.6 ± 2.87%), Croococcidiopsis sp. (22.7 ± 1.36%), Leptolyngbya sp. (21.15 ± 1.99%), Limnothrixsp. (20.73 ± 3.26%), Calothrix sp. (18.15 ± 4.11%) and Nostoc sp. (15.43 ± 3.89%), Cephalothrixsp. (13.95 ± 4.27%), Cephalothrix Komarekiana (13.8 ± 3.56%) and Westiellopsisprolifica (12.80 ± 1.97%). FAME analysis showed cyanobacteria contain Methyl palmitoleate, Linolelaidic acid methyl ester, Cis-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid methyl ester, Cis-10-heptadecanoic acid methyl ester, Methyl myristate, Methyl pentadecanoate, Methyl octanoate, Methyl decanoate, Methyl laurate, Methyl tridecanoate, Methyl palmitoleate, Methyl pentadeconoate, Methyl heptadeconoate, Linolaidic acid methyl ester, Methyl erucate, Methyl myristate, Myristoloeic acid, Methyl palmitate, Cis-9-oleic acid methyl ester, Methyl arachidate and Cis-8,11,14-ecosatrieconoic acid methyl ester. The present study revealed that cyanobacteria isolated from Sri Lanka are potential source for biodiesel industry because of their high fatty acid content. Further studies are required to optimize the mass culture conditions to increase thelipid content from cyanobacterial biomass along with the research in the value addition to the remaining biomass.