Isolation and morphological identification of some indigenous microalgae from Ethiopia for phycoprospecting

Abstract

Bioprospecting of microalgae (food, feed, fertilizers, fuel, pigments, fiber, bioremediator and neutraceuticals) are a latest promising industry because of their high photosynthetic efficiency. Microalgae prospects are under limelight not only for its value added applications but also for no competition with food, water and arable land usage. However, the product is still costlier when compared to other organisms which obstruct large-scale phycoprospecting. Indigenous microalgae can improve phycoprospecting and it is on high demand. There is a need to isolate and identify the potential native microalgae for local application with ease, besides biodiversity in Ethiopia is intense and not investigated much on microalgae. Therefore in this research, focused to isolate microalgae from eight different sites in Ethiopia (Akaki pond, Akaki river, Kality pond, Kality Gidb pond, Tuludimtu ditch, Awash lake, Koka lake and Sumit Ditch) and inoculated in Bold’s Basal medium and incubated under natural Sun light at 25^°C for 15 days. Then microalgae were purified using agar plate and identified morphologically using light microscope. We identified 18 species from 12 genera namely, Pediastrum sp., Chlorella sp., Chlamydomonas sp., Scenedesmus sp., Chlorogonium sp., Oscillatoria sp., Anabaena sp., Microcystis sp., Microspora sp., Closterium sp., Synechocystis sp., and Navicula sp. Among these, 8 genera belong to eukaryotic protist and other 4 comes under prokaryotic cyanobacteria. Further analysis on its molecular identification and potential applications are under process.  These Ethiopian native species of microalgae can be used effectively for its value added application locally.