Unveiling the Biological Potential of Indigenous Oscillatoria spp. From Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems Through...

Oscillatoria species are considered versatile, eco-friendly bio-factories with significant potential for diverse sustainable innovations and applications. Characterizing Oscillatoria sp. is crucial for realizing their full potential as they exhibit differential growth patterns and produce various secondary metabolites. This study aims to systematically characterize and compare two freshwater and two marine Oscillatoria species. Thus, growth phases, nutritional composition, biochemical profiles (fatty acid and amino acid) and pigment contents of Oscillatoria species were analyzed. Oscillatoria species were cultured for growth curve determination and eventually mass cultured, harvested, and oven-dried for the analyses. The growth curve of Oscillatoria spp. was assessed through chlorophyll-a and optical density. Crude protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents varied from 21.56% ± 0.09% to 56.97% ± 0.03%, 9.07% ± 0.07% to 17.13% ± 0.13%, and 7.49% ± 0.15% to 17.04% ± 0.08%, respectively. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids were found higher in Oscillatoria spp. than saturated fatty acids. Non-essential amino acids (61.12% ± 0.05% to 64.62% ± 0.03%) were found higher than essential amino acids (35.38% ± 0.02% to 38.84% ± 0.04%). Higher pigment contents were found in highly filamentous Oscillatoria spp. than in planktonic species. This comprehensive approach facilitates the targeted characterization and selection of Oscillatoria spp. with desirable traits, ensuring their effective and specific utilization. Optimizing large-scale cultivation and efficient extraction of valuable metabolites from Oscillatoria sp. can significantly advance their potential benefits and integration into diverse commercial applications.