Comparison of cell rupturing by ozonation and ultrasonication for algal lipid extraction from Chlorella vulgaris

Cell disruption is essential for lipid collection from cultivated microalgae. This study examines the performance of ultrasonication (US), conventional bubbling ozonation (CBO), and pressure-assisted ozonation (PAO) as a cell rupturing technique to obtain algal lipid from a freshwater unicellular microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, which was grown in BG11 medium at a temperature of 25 degrees C and illuminated by artificial lighting with light/dark cycle of 12h/12h. Changes in total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and chlorophyll contents in the algae suspension after ozonation and US treatments were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of cell rupture by these techniques. Lipid yields of 21 and 27g/100g biomass were obtained using US and PAO, respectively. Lipid yields of about 5g/100g biomass were obtained using CBO. In all rupturing treatments, C16 and C18 compounds were found to be predominant accounting for 90% of the fatty acids. Using US for rupturing, fatty acids of C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2 were predominant, accounting for 76 +/- 4.2% of all the fatty acids. Using CBO and PAO involving ozone, fatty acids of C16:0 and C18:0 were predominant, accounting for 63-94% of the products. The results suggest that saturated fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) products are predominant with oxidative ozonation rupturing while unsaturated FAME products of lower-melting points predominant with physical ultrasonic rupturing means. PAO was an effective cell rupture method for biodiesel production with high lipid yield and more saturated hydrocarbon products.