Morphological Characterization, Pigments and Biochemical Composition of Isolated Microalgae from South Eastern Freshwater Habitat of Bangladesh

Identification and characterization of the microalgae is prerequisite before using them for any kind of commercial use. So, the study was designed to determine the growth, pigments and biochemical composition of four different freshwater microalgae (Nephrocytium sp., Nannochloropsis sp., Protococcus sp., and Pectinodesmus sp.). Growth performance was evaluated by collecting the data of cell density and optical density. Isolated microalgae were mass cultured in Bold Basal Media and harvested at their early stationary phase. Result showed that, Nephrocytium sp. showed significantly (p ˂ 0.05) highest chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b and Protococcus sp. resulted highest carotenoid. Protein and lipids were significantly (p ˂ 0.05) highest in Nannochloropsis sp. Moreover, Protococcus sp. resulted higher amount of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Current results will aid to choose microalgal strains that possess fast growth, suitable pigments and biochemical composition to utilize them in several industrial applications.