Chemical compositon of three microalgae species for possible use in mariculture

The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition of Chaetoceros gracilis, Cylindrotheca closterium and Tetraselmis gracilis, species frequently used as food for aquaculture in the northeast of Brazil. The species were grown in f/2 medium, in carboys, aerated from one liter, with constant illumination and analyses were made in late exponential growth phase. Cellular density (8,447 x 10 6 cell.L-1), soluble carbohydrates (0.10±0.01 mg.L-1) and magnesium (14.78±0.08 mg.L-1) were the highest in C. gracilis. C . closterium had the highest amount of chlorophyll a (13.76±1.11 mg.L-1), soluble proteins (0.62±0.04 mg.L-1), total amino acids (23.82±0.84 mg .L-1), nitrate (0.36±0.02 mg.L-1), sodium (0.46±0.05 mg.L-1) and phosphorus (2.80±0.38 mg.L-1). Both the species had potassium levels of 0.02 mg.L-1 and sulfur levels of 0.03 mg.L-1. T. gracilis had the lowest values in almost all the analyzed variables, except for chlorophyll a. Therefore, among the analyzed species and tested conditions, C. closterium represented the best nutritional option for aquaculture projects.

Este trabalho objetivou a determinação da composição química de Chaetoceros gracilis, Cylindrotheca closterium e Tetraselmis gracilis, espécies de freqüente uso na aqüicultura no Nordeste do Brasil. As espécies foram cultivadas em meio f/2-Guillard, em garrafão de vidro, aeradas a partir de um litro, com iluminação constante e as análises foram realizadas no final da fase exponencial. C. gracilis apresentou maior densidade celular, chegando a 8.442x10(6) cel.L-1, o maior valor para carboidratos solúveis (0,10 ± 0,01 mg.L-1) e magnésio (14,78 ± 0,08 mg.L-1). C. closterium apresentou a maior concentração para clorofila a (13,76 ± 1,11 mg.L-1), proteína solúvel (0,62 ± 0,04 mg.L-1), aminoácidos totais livres (23,82 ± 0,84 mg.L-1), nitrato (0,36 ± 0,02 mg.L-1), sódio (0,46 ± 0,05 mg.L-1) e fósforo (2,80 ± 0,38 mg.L-1). Os teores de potássio (0,02 mg.L-1) e enxofre (0,03 mg.L-1) foram iguais para C. gracilis e C. closterium. A espécie T. gracilis apresentou os menores valores nas variáveis analisadas, exceto para clorofila a. Apresentando-se, portanto, entre as três espécies analisadas, C. closterium como a melhor opção nutricional, dentre as condições observadas, para projetos em aqüicultura.

Water stress response on the enzymatic activity in cowpea nodules

A greenhouse experiment was carried out aiming to study the effect of water stress on metabolic activity of cowpea nodules at different plant development stages. Cowpea plants were grown in pots with yellow latosol soil under three different matric potentials treatments: -7.0 (control-S1), -70.0 (S2) and <-85.0 KPa (S3). The experimental design was randomized blocks with sub-divided plots, each plot containing a different degree of water stress, divided in sub-plots for the four different developmental stages: E1 (0-15), E2 (15-30), E3 (20-35) and E4 (30-45) days after emmergence. Water stress treatments were applied by monitoring soil water potential using a set of porous cups. The effect of water stress was most harmful to cowpea when it was applied at E2 than at other symbiotic process stages. Shoot/root ratio decreased from 2.61 to 2.14 when matric potential treatment was <-85.0 and -70.0 KPa respectively. There was a reduction in the glutamine synthetase activity and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxilase activity with increased stress, while glutamine synthase activity was the enzyme most sensitive to water stress. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity increased in more negative matric potential, indicating that this enzyme is sufficiently activitye under water stress.