EP_096. Lipid profiling and toxicity evaluation of Antarctic microalgae (BO-11) in zebrafish embryo development

Amirah Mohd Yuzanai¹, Nurfatihah binti Pahdin¹, Siti Aqlima Ahmad¹, Noor Azmi Shaharuddin¹ and Syahida Ahmad^1*

1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: Syahida binti Ahmad. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Microalgae have garnered significant scientific interest due to their diverse applications in various fields such as biodiesel production, bioremediation and biomedical properties. The Antarctic strains, in particular, have been reported extensively for their high lipid content due to their survival ability in extreme weather.

OBJECTIVE(S): This study investigates the lipid components of microalgae (BO-11) collected from Bernardo O’Higgins, Antarctic and its toxicity effects using zebrafish embryo as animal model.

MATERIALS & METHODS: The lipid was extracted using a modified Bligh and Dyer method and subsequently analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Toxicity assessment was conducted over 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf) at concentration ranging from 15.63 µg/mL to 1000 µg/mL based on several parameters including survival rate, LC₅₀ values, hatching rate, heart beat rate and morphology observation.

RESULTS: GC-MS result revealed high lipid yield of 75% where polyunsaturated fatty acids is the major compound of the extract at 80.24%. The predominant compound identified was α-linolenic acid (ALA), reported in its methylated form as 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)-, followed by saturated fatty acids (15.62%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (4.13%). Despite its substantial lipid content, BO-11 demonstrates negligible toxicity towards zebrafish embryo (LC₅₀ = 130.87 µg/mL) indicating that it is practically nontoxic. At higher concentrations (≥250 µg/mL), the survival rate showed significant decrease as early as 24 hpf. In contrast, lower concentrations (≤62.5 µg/mL) exhibited 100% survival rates and hatching rates. Embryos exposed at 125 µg/mL showed normal hatching rate and heartbeat rate of ≤125 µg/mL remained normal at 120 to 180 beats per minute (bpm).

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that despite the high lipid content of BO-11, predominantly composed of PUFA, it poses minimal adverse effects at lower concentrations suggesting potential safety for various applications.

KEYWORDS: Antarctic Microalgae, Lipid, Zebrafish, Toxicity