Isolation and characterization of hydrocarbon producing green alga Botryococcus braunii from Indian freshwater bodies

Samples of green colonial unicellular microalga
Botryococcus braunii were collected from Bear Shola
Falls at Kodaikanal (latitude 10.31 N and longitude
77.32 E), Tamil Nadu, India. Specimens were isolated,
cultured and examined for its hydrocarbon content,
morphological features and DNA structural
resemblance with the known strain to confirm its
identity. Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) finger
printing revealed strong genetic similarity among the
authentic strain (B. braunii N-836) and the Indian
isolated strain (B. braunii CFTRI- Bb1) from
*Corresponding author
Kodaikanal. The type of hydrocarbons produced by the
Kodaikanal isolates were analyzed and identified as
saturated hydrocarbons in the range of C21 to C33 by
GCMS. Tetracosane and octacosane were found as the
major components among the saturated hydrocarbons
produced by this alga, constituting 17.6% and 14.8%
respectively. Hydrocarbon content of the organism was
in the range of 13-18% of its dry biomass. The fat
content of the organism was found to be 22% (w/w).
Palmitic and oleic acids were found to be major fatty
acids produced by the alga. Lutein and β-carotene were
found to be the major carotenoids and constituted about
64.1% and 25.1% respectively of the total carotenoids.
Based on ISSR finger printing and hydrocarbon
analyses the new algal strain from Kodaikanal was
identified as Botryococcus braunii.