Studies on Bioflocculation efficiency of Moringa leaf and Soybean seed protein

Abstract Algae are a group of diverse photosynthetic organisms, that have a wide range of applications. Bioflocculation has emerged as a new eco-friendly approach for harvesting algae. The composition of algae influences the bioflocculation process; therefore, in this study, we evaluated the protein content of marine microalgae Synechococcus sp., Dunaliella sp., and Chlorella sp. (50±0.2%, 36.2±0.4%, and 40.16±2.22% respectively); the protein content of Moringa leaf and soybean (16 and 55 %) were also evaluated. The genus Moringa (also called the miracle tree), has coagulation/flocculation abilities and is used for wastewater treatment, pharmacy, food, and feed. A study on the efficiency of Moringa to flocculate the mentioned under varying operating parameters (pH and dose), revealed that in the case of Dunaliella sp. maximum bioflocculation efficiency (91.3%) was achieved with Moringa leaf protein followed by soybean protein (85.3%). Apart from being simple, non–perilous, and effective, this bioflocculation method involves no algal pre-treatment costs; moreover, it can be scaled up for large-scale harvesting of microalgae.