The regulation of light quality on the substance production and photosynthetic activity of Dunaliella bardawil

To study the influence and regulation of light quality on the microalgal photosynthetic activity and production of biomass and substances, green alga Dunaliella bardawil was cultured in this study under the monochromatic red light (7R0B), blue light (0R7B), and their combinations with different ratios (xRyB, x + y = 7), as well as a control of white light (W). The results demonstrated that the only advantage for control W was its chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and Chl-b contents. All substance production at 7R0B were much lower than at control W, except of glycerol. Compared to control W, protein production at 1R6B (259.22 mg/L) was 1.10 times greater, carbohydrate production at 0R7B (306.49 mg/L) was 1.34 times higher, lipid production at 3R4B (133.60 mg/L) was 1.36 times higher, and glycerol production at 4R3B (53.58 mg/L) was 1.13 times greater. In comparison to control W, there was the significant improvements of at least 19%, 20%, and 5%, respectively, in the values of potential maximal relative electron transport efficiency (rETR(max)), light intensity with saturated rETR (I-K), and actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (QY(ss)) in treatments. The correlation analysis revealed that the content of carotenoids was closely related to non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The test using Chl-a fluorescence transients (JIP-test) proved that red light inhibited electron transport from reduced Quinone A (Q(A)(-)) to Q(B) and resulted in a sharp increase in RC/CSm, and that the blue-dominated light enhanced electron transport from Q(A)(-) to Q(B) and from plastoquinone (PQ) to PSI receptor side. The photosynthetic parameters including Psi o, phi(EO), phi(RO), delta(RO), PIABS, PItotal, DFABS, and DFtotal, which were positively correlated with growth and substance production, were improved by blue-dominated light. The variations in the electron transport chain might provide the signals for metabolic regulation. The results of this study will be helpful to promote the production of Dunaliella bardawil under artificial illumination and to clarify the regulating mechanism of light quality on microalgal photosynthesis.