Microalgae biomass and their products are invaluable bio-resources with numerous applications in food, feed, pharmacy, cosmetics, and environments. The effects of light intensities on biomass, chlorophyll-a, and total carotenoid production by Chlorella sorokiniana and Ankistrodesmus falcatus were studied in Bolds Basal Medium (BBM) and Poultry Medium (PM) as the growth media. The growth of C. sorokiniana and A. falcatus increased with increase in light intensity in PM and was inhibited at 1786 lux in C. sorokiniana in BBM. PM supported higher biomass production by C. sorokiniana than BBM while it was the reverse for A. falcatus. A. falcatus produced higher (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of chlorophyll-a than C. sorokiniana in both media. The highest carotenoid concentration of 11.84 mg/g-biomass was accumulated by C. sorokiniana in PM as against 7.027 mg/g-biomass obtained in BBM. On the other hand, the highest carotenoid concentration of 7.633 mg/g-biomass was accumulated by A. falcatus in BBM as against 4.299 mg/g-biomass obtained in PM. It is interesting to note in the present study that a cheap medium such as PM supported higher biomass and carotenoid production by C. sorokiniana than BBM.
Key words: Microalgae, biomass, Chlorella sorokiana, Akinstrodesmus falcatus, light intensity, chlorophyll, carotenoids.
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