Fractionation of the water insoluble part of the heterotrophic mutant green microalga Parachlorella kessleri HY1 (Chlorellaceae) biomass: Identification and structure of polysaccharides

The water-insoluble part of Parachlorella kessleri HY1 biomass was subjected to the extraction of cell-wall polysaccharides using polar aprotic solvents (DMSO, LiCl/DMSO) and aqueous alkaline solutions (0.1, 1 and 4 mol.l(- 1) of NaOH). Proteins predominated in all the crude extracts and in the insoluble residues were partially removed by treatment with proteolytic enzymes (pepsin and pronase), and in some cases with the HCl/H2O2 reagent, yielding purified polysaccharide-enriched fractions. These treatments led to the solubilisation of some products in water. The composition and structure of isolated polysaccharides were characterised based on monosaccharide composition, glycosidic linkage and spectroscopic analyses. The DMSO extract contained mainly proteins, and polysaccharides were not detected. The water-soluble parts isolated from the LiCl/DMSO extract contained alpha-L-rhamnan, alpha-D-glucan and beta-D-glucogalactan; the water-insoluble part contained (1 -> 4)-beta-D-xylan, first isolated from the biomass of green microalgae. The alkali extracts contained polysaccharides of similar structure, and also water-insoluble (1 -> 4)-beta-D-mannan. The insoluble part after all extractions contained alpha-chitin as the main polysaccharide, which was confirmed by spectroscopic methods. All these polysaccharides can play a certain role in the cell wall structure of this microalga.

Automated summary

The water-insoluble part of Parachlorella kessleri HY1 biomass was subjected to various extraction methods to obtain cell-wall polysaccharides. Proteins and different polysaccharides were identified and their potential role in the cell wall structure of microalgae was discussed.