Metabolomic response of microalgae towards diclofenac sodium during its removal from water and concomitant recovery of pigments and lipids

The aim of this work was to assess the efficiency of freshwater green microalga, Chlorella sorokiniana for diclofenac sodium (DFS) removal, and metabolic response of alga to comprehend the metabolic pathways involved/affected during DFS decontamination. Results showed 91.51 % removal of DFS could be achieved within 9 days of algal treatment along with recovery of enhanced value-added bioresources i.e. chlorophyll, carotenoids, and lipids from the spent biomass. DFS also had an effect on enzyme activity including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and lipid peroxidation (MDA). Furthermore, metabolomics profiling provided an in-depth insight into changes in the metabolic response of C. sorokiniana wherein DFS induced 32 metabolites in microalgae compared to unexposed-control. This study offers microalgae as a green option for DFS removal, and the metabolomics study complemented with DFS could be an approach to understand the stress-induced strategies of C. sorokiniana for concomitant value-added products recovery in presence of DFS.

Automated summary

The efficiency of Chlorella sorokiniana in removing diclofenac sodium (DFS) from freshwater was assessed, and the metabolic response of the alga was studied to understand the metabolic pathways affected during DFS decontamination. The results showed that 91.51% of DFS could be removed within 9 days of algal treatment, and valuable bioresources such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and lipids could be recovered from the spent biomass. DFS also affected enzyme activity and induced changes in metabolites in the microalgae. This study highlights microalgae as a green option for DFS removal and suggests that metabolomics analysis can provide insights into the stress-induced strategies of C. sorokiniana for simultaneous recovery of value-added products in the presence of DFS.