Document Type : Narrative and integrative review
Author
Assistant professor, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Converging Sciences and Technologies, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background and Purpose: The manufacturing process of petroleum-derived goods poses a significant environmental hazard, with the emission of toxic compounds like greenhouse gases posing risks to humans, flora, and fauna. Notably, cyanobacteria emerge as crucial entities due to their potential as sources for degradable plastics and biofuels. Cyanobacteria can harness and assimilate atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide, utilizing them for growth even in inhospitable environments such as barren soils and saline waters. This adaptability renders them promising candidates for producing biodegradable plastics and biofuels. Nevertheless, the full spectrum of their capabilities remains incompletely understood. Hence, this review aims to explore the potential of cyanobacteria in producing degradable plastics, along with strategies for enhancing their production and subsequent commercialization.
Materials and Methods: This review synthesized relevant articles published between 2020 and 2023 from databases including Springer, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and John Wiley to procure the latest insights into the cyanobacteria's potential in degradable product synthesis. Employing appropriate keywords from the MeSH site, we identified thirty new review and research articles pertinent to the subject matter.
Results: Analysis revealed that cyanobacteria exhibit variable capacities for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production, with the highest (77%) and lowest (less than 0.005%) yields observed in Alusira fertilisima CCC444 and Anabaena cylindric, respectively. Moreover, genetic manipulations have yielded promising results, with PHB biosynthesis increasing by up to 35% in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Cyanobacterial strains like Synechocystis consortia, Spirulina platensis, Anabaena circinalis, and Nostoc muscorum exhibit metabolic traits conducive to the economical and sustainable production of biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and PHB, among other copolymers.
Conclusion: Augmenting culture mediums with supplements like carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCCD), monofluoroacetate, L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine (MSX), and azaserine has been shown to enhance PHB production by nearly 20%. Furthermore, the natural synthesis of plastics from biodegradable sources mitigates reliance on fossil fuels, rendering the process environmentally sustainable. However, the commercialization of degradable products derived from cyanobacteria faces challenges due to the comparatively lower volume of biological products and their reduced accumulation compared to heterotrophic bacteria.
Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords
- Balaji S, K Gopi, B Muthuvelan. A review on production of poly β hydroxybutyrates from cyanobacteria for the production of bio plastics. Algal Research. 2013; 2(3): 278-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2013.03.002
- Nowruzi B, H Fahimi. Nostoc cyanobacteria species: a new and rich source of novel bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical potential. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. 2018; 9(1): 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/jphs.12202
- Bhati R. Biodegradable plastics production by cyanobacteria. Biotechnology Products in Everyday Life. 2019; 131-143. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92399-4_9
- Price S, Want T. Cyanobacterial polyhydroxybutyrate for sustainable bioplastic production: critical review and perspectives. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2020. 8(4): 104007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2020.104007
- Koller M. "Bioplastics from microalgae"-Polyhydroxyalkanoate production by cyanobacteria. Handbook of Microalgae-Based Processes and Products. 2020; 597-645. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818536-0.00022-1
- Ghorbani E, Nowruzi B, Hekmat A. Metal removal capability of two cyanobacterial species in autotrophic and mixotrophic mode of nutrition. BMC microbiology. 2022; 22(1): p. 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-022-02471-8 PMid:35176992 PMCid:PMC8851847
- Najafi Y, B Nowruzi, AH Sari. Review on the Combined Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment Technology and Cyanobacteria in Heavy Metal Removal such as Zinc, Calcium, and Magnesium. Iranian Journal of Applied Physics. 2023; 13(1): 75-116
- Nowruzi B, Jafari S. Plant-cyanobacteria interactions: Beneficial and harmful effects of cyanobacterial bioactive compounds on soil-plant systems and subsequent risk to animal and human health. Phytochemistry. 2021; 192: 112959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112959 PMid:34649057
- Shah AA, Saeedi M. Biological degradation of plastics: a comprehensive review. Biotechnology advances. 2008; 26(3): 246-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.12.005 PMid:18337047
- Jacob-Lopes E, R Sartor. Biodegradable Plastics from Cyanobacteria. Materials Research Foundations. 2021; 99
- Anvar S, B Nowruzi, M Tala. Bioactive products of cyanobacteria and microalgae as valuable dietary and medicinal supplements. Food Hygiene. 2021; 11(1 (41)): 99-118.
- Tan C, F Tao, P Xu. Direct carbon capture for the production of high-performance biodegradable plastics by cyanobacterial cell factories. Green Chemistry. 2022; 24(11): 4470-4483. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1GC04188F
- Singh AK, Ahmad H. Progress and challenges in producing polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers from cyanobacteria. Journal of Applied Phycology. 2017; 29: 1213-1232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-016-1006-1
- Afreen R, Rhim A. Challenges and perspectives of polyhydroxyalkanoate production from microalgae/cyanobacteria and bacteria as microbial factories: an assessment of hybrid biological system. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2021; 9: 624-885. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.624885 PMid:33681160 PMCid:PMC7933458
- Nowruzi B, G Sarvari, S Blanco. Applications of cyanobacteria in biomedicine, in Handbook of Algal Science, Technology and Medicine. 2020; Elsevier: 441-453. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818305-2.00028-0
- Ansari S, T Fatma. Cyanobacterial polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB): screening, optimization and characterization. PLoS One. 2016; 11(6): e0158168. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158168 PMid:27359097 PMCid:PMC4928839
- Rueda E, Saeedi A. Life cycle assessment and economic analysis of bioplastics production from cyanobacteria. Sustainable Materials and Technologies. 2023; 35: e00579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2023.e00579
- Agarwal P, Singh H. Cyanobacteria as a promising alternative for sustainable environment: Synthesis of biofuel and biodegradable plastics. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022; 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.939347 PMid:35903468 PMCid:PMC9325326
- Singh PK. Cyanobacterial biology in twenty-first century. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2023; 14: 1184669. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1184669 PMid:37065144 PMCid:PMC10090853
- Arias D M, J García, E Uggetti. Production of polymers by cyanobacteria grown in wastewater: Current status, challenges and future perspectives. New biotechnology. 2020; 55: 46-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2019.09.001 PMid:31541716
- Das M, SK Maiti. Recent progress and challenges in cyanobacterial autotrophic production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a bioplastic. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2021; 9(4): 105379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105379
- Mahmoud N A. Impacts of Biodegradable Plastic on the Environment, in Handbook of Biodegradable Materials. 2023; Springer. 811-837. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09710-2_34
- Carpine R. Industrial production of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate from CO2: can cyanobacteria meet this challenge? Processes. 2020; 8(3): p. 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8030323
- Gomes Gradíssimo D, L Pereira Xavier, A Valadares Santos. Cyanobacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates: A sustainable alternative in circular economy. Molecules. 2020; 25(18): p. 4331. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25184331 PMid:32971731 PMCid:PMC7571216
- Oliveira Bispo Cardoso L. The Patent Landscape of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production by Algae and Cyanobacteria. Recent Patents on Biotechnology. 2023; 17(3): 271-288. https://doi.org/10.2174/1872208317666221207145011 PMid:36503455
- Krasaesueb N. Inactivation of phosphate regulator (SphU) in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. 6803 directly induced acetyl phosphate pathway leading to enhanced PHB level under nitrogen-sufficient condition. Journal of Applied Phycology. 2021; 33(4): 2135-2144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02460-w
- Amadu A A, deGraft-Johnson, G K Ameka. Industrial Applications of Cyanobacteria, in Cyanobacteria-Recent Advances in Taxonomy and Applications. 2021; IntechOpen.
- Agarwal P. Cyanobacteria as a promising alternative for sustainable environment: Synthesis of biofuel and biodegradable plastics. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022; 13: 939347. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.939347 PMid:35903468 PMCid:PMC9325326
- Karan H. Green bioplastics as part of a circular bioeconomy. Trends in plant science. 2019; 24(3): 237-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2018.11.010 PMid:30612789
- Kamravamanesh D, M Lackner, C Herwig. Bioprocess engineering aspects of sustainable polyhydroxyalkanoate production in cyanobacteria. Bioengineering. 2018; 5(4): p. 111.ذ https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering5040111 PMid:30567391 PMCid:PMC6315491
)