Improving lipid and metabolite production in Haematococcus pluvialis using carbon-based quantum dots: a sustainable...

The biofuels produced from algae sources have received significant scholarly concerns as a sustainable and renewable energy alternative to conventional fossil fuel deposits because of their intrinsic renewable nature, low environmental impact, and the potential to produce unsaturated fatty acids. This research attempts to evaluate the effect of carbon quantum dots (CQD) and boron-nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (BNCQD) on lipid and metabolite synthesis in the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. CQD and BNCQD were synthesized by pyrolysis, and their effects on the fatty acid and volatile compounds of H. pulvialis were evaluated using GC-MS. The findings indicated that these nanoparticles noticeably increased lipid accumulation and metabolite production in the H. pulvialis. Notably, BNCQD exhibited a higher capacity to promote the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and linolenic acids, in comparison to CQD. The observed increase in fatty acid levels was associated with enhanced photosynthetic efficacy and increased productivity of algae by nanoparticles. The observed increase in fatty acid levels was associated with enhanced photosynthetic efficacy and increased productivity of algae by nanoparticles. Vitamin E levels in the CQD and BNCQD treatments were significantly lower than the control group. This decrease in metabolite demonstrates how the nanoparticle downregulates competing metabolite pathways while enhancing the Farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and Geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) flow towards astaxanthin production. This investigation underscores that adjusting nanoparticle concentrations can significantly improve the growth and biochemical profile of H. pulvialis. This means it has promise in bioenergy production, drugs, and food processing.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01700-4.