Cultivation of Arthrospira platensis under artificial light (LEDs) to obtain products of interest in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields

Arthrospira contains a wide range of high-value molecules which has proven important bioactivities for human health and which can be separately commercialized in different fields. Natural light is mostly used for Arthrospira large-scale production, but in respect to natural light, artificial light can be used to provide a better regulation of the light parameters, addressing the biochemical composition of the strain. The aim of this project was to investigate how different light conditions (in terms of intensity and wavelength) affect the growth and the biochemical composition of Arthrospira platensis, in order to identify the light conditions able to maximize the production of biomass and/or bioactive molecules. To this aim, also different trophic modes (i.e., autotrophic, photo-heterotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic) were compared. The outcomes of this research can allow to standardize A. platensis production process and obtain the products of interest with regularity.