Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Growth Estimation of Spirulina platensis Cultures

The present study proposes the use of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a rapid method for estimating the growth of <i>Spirulina platensis</i> cultures, avoiding any sample manipulation or pretreatment. NIR spectroscopy in diffuse reflectance mode was used on culture volumes as received, with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) linear regression, for developing the calibration model in the wavelength range of 1000-2500 nm, in order to choose the appropriate wavelength to estimate the growth of the microalga. The local reflectance maximum at 1062.6 nm, connected with reduced water absorption and scattering effects by the microalga, was identified from PCA as the positive peak in the first loading plot, correlating diffuse reflectance with dilution levels. The calibration curve of diffuse reflectance at 1062.6 nm in response to dilution presented strong linearity, supported by a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.995. Cross-validation of NIR spectra with a <i>S. platensis</i> culture confirmed the method's reliability, showing that the growth follows an exponential pattern. The study shows that diffuse reflectance NIR spectroscopy can be used for the rapid monitoring of <i>Spirulina platensis</i> growth.