Projects per year
Abstract
Red algae, belonging to the phylum Rhodophyta, contain an abundance of useful chemicals including bioactive molecules and present opportunities for the production of different products through biorefinery cascades. The rhodophyte Palmaria palmata, commonly termed dulse or dillisk, grows predominantly on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is a well-known snack food. Due to its abundance, availability and cultivation capacity, P. palmata was selected for study as a potential candidate for a biorefinery process. In addition to studying juice and solid fractions of freshly harvested P. palmata, we have investigated the novel possibility of preserving algal biomass by ensilaging protocols similar to those employed for terrestrial forage crops. In the metabolite partitioning within the solid and liquid fractions following screw-pressing, the majority of the metabolites screened for—water soluble carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids, pigments, phenolics and antioxidant activity—remained in the solid fraction, though at differing proportions depending on the metabolite, from 70.8% soluble amino acids to 98.2% chlorophyll a and 98.1% total carotenoids. For the ensiling study, screw-pressed P. palmata, with comparative wilted and chopped, and chopped only samples, were ensiled at scale with and without Safesil silage additive. All samples were successfully ensiled after 90 days, with screw-pressing giving lower or equal pH before and after ensiling compared with the other preparations. Of particular note was the effluent volumes generated during ensiling: 26– 49% of the fresh weight, containing 16–34% of the silage dry matter. This may be of advantage depending on the final use of the biomass.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 533-544 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Applied Phycology |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 19 Oct 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 01 Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- Biorefining
- Dulse
- Effluent
- Rhodophyta
- Screw-pressing
- Seaweed
- Silage
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Dive into the research topics of 'Bio-processing of macroalgae Palmaria palmata: Metabolite fractionation from pressed fresh material and ensiling considerations for long-term storage'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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Novel macroalgal enzymes; library screens and market analysis
Adams, J. (PI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Aug 2017 → 31 Dec 2017
Project: Externally funded research
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BBSRC Core Strategic Programme in Resilient Crops: Oats
Howarth, C. (PI)
01 Apr 2017 → 31 Mar 2022
Project: Externally funded research
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BEACON Plus
Donnison, I. (PI) & Shah, I. P. (CoI)
01 Jul 2015 → 31 Dec 2019
Project: Externally funded research