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Dr. Giovanna Salbitani
University Federico II of Naples, Italy

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0 Plant Physiology
0 biomolecules
0 extremophiles
0 microalgae culture
0 sulphur nutrition

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Journal article
Published: 11 February 2021 in Plants
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Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) is a bulbous geophyte growing on coastal sands. In this study, we investigated changes in concentrations of metabolites in the root and leaf tissue of P. maritimum in response to mild salt stress. Changes in concentrations of osmolytes, glutathione, sodium, mineral nutrients, enzymes, and other compounds in the leaves and roots were measured at 0, 3, and 10 days during a 10-day exposure to two levels of mild salt stress, 50 mM NaCl or 100 mM NaCl in sandy soil from where the plants were collected in dunes near Cuma, Italy. Sodium accumulated in the roots, and relatively little was translocated to the leaves. At both concentrations of NaCl, higher values of the concentrations of oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG), compared to reduced glutathione (GSH), in roots and leaves were associated with salt tolerance. The concentration of proline increased more in the leaves than in the roots, and glycine betaine increased in both roots and leaves. Differences in the accumulation of organic osmolytes and electron donors synthesized in both leaves and roots demonstrate that osmoregulatory and electrical responses occur in these organs of P. maritimum under mild salt stress.

ACS Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Michele Innangi; Bruno Menale; Olga De Castro; Catello Di Martino; Thomas Crawford. Simultaneous Biochemical and Physiological Responses of the Roots and Leaves of Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) to Mild Salt Stress. Plants 2021, 10, 345 .

AMA Style

Simona Carfagna, Giovanna Salbitani, Michele Innangi, Bruno Menale, Olga De Castro, Catello Di Martino, Thomas Crawford. Simultaneous Biochemical and Physiological Responses of the Roots and Leaves of Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) to Mild Salt Stress. Plants. 2021; 10 (2):345.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Michele Innangi; Bruno Menale; Olga De Castro; Catello Di Martino; Thomas Crawford. 2021. "Simultaneous Biochemical and Physiological Responses of the Roots and Leaves of Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) to Mild Salt Stress." Plants 10, no. 2: 345.

Review
Published: 19 January 2021 in Sustainability
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In plant cells, ammonium is considered the most convenient nitrogen source for cell metabolism. However, despite ammonium being the preferred N form for microalgae, at higher concentrations, it can be toxic, and can cause growth inhibition. Microalgae’s tolerance to ammonium depends on the species, with various taxa showing different thresholds of tolerability and symptoms of toxicity. In the environment, ammonium at high concentrations represents a dangerous pollutant. It can affect water quality, causing numerous environmental problems, including eutrophication of downstream waters. For this reason, it is important to treat wastewater and remove nutrients before discharging it into rivers, lakes, or seas. A valid and sustainable alternative to conventional treatments could be provided by microalgae, coupling the nutrient removal from wastewater with the production of valuable biomass. This review is focused on ammonium and its importance in algal nutrition, but also on its problematic presence in aquatic systems such as wastewaters. The aim of this work is to provide recent information on the exploitation of microalgae in ammonium removal and the role of ammonium in microalgae metabolism.

ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Simona Carfagna. Ammonium Utilization in Microalgae: A Sustainable Method for Wastewater Treatment. Sustainability 2021, 13, 956 .

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Simona Carfagna. Ammonium Utilization in Microalgae: A Sustainable Method for Wastewater Treatment. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):956.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Simona Carfagna. 2021. "Ammonium Utilization in Microalgae: A Sustainable Method for Wastewater Treatment." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 956.

Journal article
Published: 17 September 2020 in Antioxidants
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The ability of aerobic organisms to cope with the attack of radicals and other reactive oxygen species improves by feeding on foods containing antioxidants. Microalgae contain many molecules showing in vitro antioxidant capacity, and their food consumption can protect cells from oxidative insults. We evaluated the capacity of dietary supplementation with 1% dried Chlorella sorokiniana strain 211/8k, an alga rich in glutathione, α-tocopherol, and carotenoids, to counteract an oxidative attack in vivo. We used the hyperthyroid rat as a model of oxidative stress, in which the increase in metabolic capacities is associated with an increase in the release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the susceptibility to oxidative insult. Chlorella sorokiniana supplementation prevents the increases in oxidative stress markers and basal oxygen consumption in hyperthyroid rat livers. It also mitigates the thyroid hormone-induced increase in maximal aerobic capacities, the mitochondrial ROS release, and the susceptibility to oxidative stress. Finally, alga influences the thyroid hormone-induced changes in the factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC1-1) and nuclear respiratory factor 2 (NRF-2). Our results suggest that Chlorella sorokiniana dietary supplementation has beneficial effects in counteracting oxidative stress and that it works primarily by preserving mitochondrial function. Thus, it can be useful in preventing dysfunctions in which mitochondrial oxidative damage and ROS production play a putative role.

ACS Style

Gaetana Napolitano; Gianluca Fasciolo; Giovanna Salbitani; Paola Venditti. Chlorella sorokiniana Dietary Supplementation Increases Antioxidant Capacities and Reduces Ros Release in Mitochondria of Hyperthyroid Rat Liver. Antioxidants 2020, 9, 883 .

AMA Style

Gaetana Napolitano, Gianluca Fasciolo, Giovanna Salbitani, Paola Venditti. Chlorella sorokiniana Dietary Supplementation Increases Antioxidant Capacities and Reduces Ros Release in Mitochondria of Hyperthyroid Rat Liver. Antioxidants. 2020; 9 (9):883.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gaetana Napolitano; Gianluca Fasciolo; Giovanna Salbitani; Paola Venditti. 2020. "Chlorella sorokiniana Dietary Supplementation Increases Antioxidant Capacities and Reduces Ros Release in Mitochondria of Hyperthyroid Rat Liver." Antioxidants 9, no. 9: 883.

Journal article
Published: 29 June 2020 in Applied Sciences
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Bicarbonate ions are the primary source of inorganic carbon for autotrophic organisms living in aquatic environments. In the present study, we evaluated the shortterm (hours) effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) addition on the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of the green algae Chlorella sorokiniana (211/8k). Bicarbonate was added to nonaxenic cultures at concentrations of 1, 2, and 3 g L-1 leading to a significant increase in biomass especially at the highest salt concentration (3 g L-1) and also showing a bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect that helped to keep a reduced microbial load in the algal culture. Furthermore, bicarbonate stimulated the increase in cellular content of chlorophyll a, improving the photosynthetic performance of cells. Since microalgae of genus Chlorella spp. show great industrial potential for the production of biofuels, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, health, and dietary supplements and the use of bicarbonate as a source of inorganic carbon led to shortterm responses in Chlorella sorokiniana, this method represents a valid alternative not only to the insufflation of carbon dioxide for the intensive cultures but also for the production of potentially bioactive compounds in a short period.

ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Francesco Bolinesi; Mario Affuso; Federica Carraturo; Olga Mangoni; Simona Carfagna. Rapid and Positive Effect of Bicarbonate Addition on Growth and Photosynthetic Efficiency of The Green Microalgae Chlorella Sorokiniana (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae). Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 4515 .

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Francesco Bolinesi, Mario Affuso, Federica Carraturo, Olga Mangoni, Simona Carfagna. Rapid and Positive Effect of Bicarbonate Addition on Growth and Photosynthetic Efficiency of The Green Microalgae Chlorella Sorokiniana (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae). Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (13):4515.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Francesco Bolinesi; Mario Affuso; Federica Carraturo; Olga Mangoni; Simona Carfagna. 2020. "Rapid and Positive Effect of Bicarbonate Addition on Growth and Photosynthetic Efficiency of The Green Microalgae Chlorella Sorokiniana (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae)." Applied Sciences 10, no. 13: 4515.

Article
Published: 08 April 2020 in Journal of Plant Growth Regulation
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Despite being an autotrophic organism, Galdieria phlegrea (Galdieriaceae) has the ability to use glycerol thereby switching to heterotrophy in the dark and mixotrophy in the presence of light. To examine cellular changes during the switch to mixotrophic metabolism and finally to photoautotrophic metabolism, heterotrophic cells of G. phlegrea were exposed to light and split into two subcultures. Cells exposed only to light but cultivated in medium containing glycerol grew with a recovery time of at least 3 days. In a parallel culture, the simultaneous removal of glycerol from the culture medium and light exposure allowed Galdieria cells to rapidly recover their growth rate due to their ability to rapidly absorb ammonium from the medium. However, contrary to expectation, a higher content of total soluble protein was observed in light-exposed cells cultivated in medium containing glycerol compared to cells cultivated without glycerol. In addition, the level of Rubisco in cells exposed to light and cultivated without glycerol was higher than those in cells cultivated in medium containing glycerol, indicating full photosynthetic functionality after only 3 days of light treatment. The greater chlorophyll a content confirms that the photosynthetic activity of cells cultivated without glycerol recovers earlier than that of heterotrophic cells exposed to light but still cultivated in medium containing glycerol.

ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Sabrina Cipolletta; Vincenza Vona; Catello Di Martino; Simona Carfagna. Heterotrophic Cultures of Galdieria phlegrea Shift to Autotrophy in the Presence or Absence of Glycerol. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 2020, 40, 371 -378.

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Sabrina Cipolletta, Vincenza Vona, Catello Di Martino, Simona Carfagna. Heterotrophic Cultures of Galdieria phlegrea Shift to Autotrophy in the Presence or Absence of Glycerol. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. 2020; 40 (1):371-378.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Sabrina Cipolletta; Vincenza Vona; Catello Di Martino; Simona Carfagna. 2020. "Heterotrophic Cultures of Galdieria phlegrea Shift to Autotrophy in the Presence or Absence of Glycerol." Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 40, no. 1: 371-378.

Journal article
Published: 03 June 2019 in International Journal of Plant Biology
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The effect of bicarbonate, produced by the enzymatic hydration of CO2 from postcombustion fumes, was investigated on Botryococcus braunii growth. The NaHCO3, supplied to cultures in the role of inorganic carbon source is proposed as a more eco-sustainable alternative to gaseous CO2. The salt was provided to the cultures at the final concentration of 0.5-1.5-2.5 g L- 1. The growth rate was considered for specific time intervals (T0-T5, T5-T10 and T0- T10) showing values significantly higher in the culture supplemented with 2.5 g L-1 bicarbonate. The doubling times were also considered in all experimental cultures showing a faster doubling for the period T0÷T5. The increase in pH drives the increase in growth in the experimental conditions in which the salt was added. The results suggest that bicarbonate is able to promote the algal growth, therefore it can be considered a valid alternative to CO2 gas.

ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Carmela M.A. Barone; Simona Carfagna. Effect of bicarbonate on growth of the oleaginous microalga Botryococcus braunii. International Journal of Plant Biology 2019, 10, 1 .

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Carmela M.A. Barone, Simona Carfagna. Effect of bicarbonate on growth of the oleaginous microalga Botryococcus braunii. International Journal of Plant Biology. 2019; 10 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Carmela M.A. Barone; Simona Carfagna. 2019. "Effect of bicarbonate on growth of the oleaginous microalga Botryococcus braunii." International Journal of Plant Biology 10, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in BIO-PROTOCOL
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ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Simona Carfagna. Determination of Reduced and Total Glutathione Content in Extremophilic Microalga Galdieria phlegrea. BIO-PROTOCOL 2017, 7, 1 .

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Claudia Bottone, Simona Carfagna. Determination of Reduced and Total Glutathione Content in Extremophilic Microalga Galdieria phlegrea. BIO-PROTOCOL. 2017; 7 (13):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Simona Carfagna. 2017. "Determination of Reduced and Total Glutathione Content in Extremophilic Microalga Galdieria phlegrea." BIO-PROTOCOL 7, no. 13: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2016 in Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research
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Galdieria sulphuraria was cultivated in a batch culture for around 20 days without CO2 addition to investigate contents in proteins and photosynthetic pigments. The analysis confirmed that the cells contained high amounts of pigments and in particular of phycocyanin (C-PC), a phycobiliprotein that represents the principal accessory pigment. C-PC is a blue pigment and for its excellent properties, is utilized in a number of applications. We extracted and partially purified the blue pigment C-PC from algal biomass in order to obtain its maximum content in the extracts. The extraction and the purification produced aqueous solutions of C-PC with concentrations around 2 mg mL–1 and with high purity with respect to total proteins. Furthermore, the C-PC extracted from the thermophilic microalgae Galdieria sulphuraria was thermostable. We propose the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria could be grown for the production of phycobiliproteins. The cultivation of the microalga Galdieria sulphuraria without CO2 supplement is also practical and economical.

ACS Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Vincenza Vona. Galdieria sulphuraria as a Possible Source of Food Colorant. Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research 2016, 3, 67 -70.

AMA Style

Simona Carfagna, Giovanna Salbitani, Claudia Bottone, Vincenza Vona. Galdieria sulphuraria as a Possible Source of Food Colorant. Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research. 2016; 3 (1):67-70.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Vincenza Vona. 2016. "Galdieria sulphuraria as a Possible Source of Food Colorant." Journal of Nutritional Ecology and Food Research 3, no. 1: 67-70.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2015 in Natural Resources
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Nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S), being essential macronutrients, have important roles in microalgae metabolism. Effects of N- or S-shortage were investigated in the green microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana subjected to 24 h of starvation, by measuring the glutamine synthetase (GS) and O-ace- tylserine(thiol)lyase (OASTL) activities, proteins and amino acids levels. To test possible metabolic impact related to carbon (C) metabolism in response to N- or S-deprivation, starch and total C, N and S contents were also determined. The growth of C. sorokiniana cells was affected by N or S availability. The algae cultured for 24 h in a medium deprived of nitrogen or sulphur showed a decrease in the growth rate and changes in the average volume cell. Nitrogen starvation affected proteins level in the algae cells more than S-deprivation did. The decline in the protein levels observed under S-deficient conditions was coupled with the accumulation of the amide glutamine and with OASTL activity increase; additionally, N-deficiency promoted a decrease in cysteine (Cys) levels (50%) and an increase in GS activity. Nevertheless, S-deprivation had negligible effects on GS activity, while N-deprivation significantly affected OASTL activity. Total C was also estimated in cells N- or S-deprived; nitrogen deprivation strongly affected total C content more than S-deprivation, which in addition reduced the content of C and N, but leaves intact their ratios. Our results support the hypothesis that in Chlorella sorokiniana cells a reciprocal influence of N, S and C assimilation occurs.

ACS Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Anna De Marco; Vincenza Vona. Cross-Effects of Nitrogen and Sulphur Starvation in Chlorella sorokiniana 211/8K. Natural Resources 2015, 06, 221 -229.

AMA Style

Simona Carfagna, Giovanna Salbitani, Claudia Bottone, Anna De Marco, Vincenza Vona. Cross-Effects of Nitrogen and Sulphur Starvation in Chlorella sorokiniana 211/8K. Natural Resources. 2015; 06 (04):221-229.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Claudia Bottone; Anna De Marco; Vincenza Vona. 2015. "Cross-Effects of Nitrogen and Sulphur Starvation in Chlorella sorokiniana 211/8K." Natural Resources 06, no. 04: 221-229.

Communication
Published: 04 August 2014 in Metabolites
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In the unicellular green alga Chlorella sorokiniana (211/8 k), the protein O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase (OASTL), representing the key-enzyme in the biosynthetic cysteine pathway, was isolated and purified to apparent homogeneity. The purification was carried out in cells grown in the presence of all nutrients or in sulphate (S) deprived cells. After 24 h of S-starvation, a 17-fold increase in the specific activity of OASTL was measured. In order to enable the identification of OASTL proteins from non-model organisms such as C. sorokiniana, the recombinant his-tagged SAT5 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana was immobilized by metal chelate chromatography. OASTL proteins from C. sorokiniana were affinity purified in one step and activities were enhanced 29- and 41-fold, from S-sufficient and S-starved (24 h) cells, respectively. The successful application of SAT/OASTL interaction for purification confirms for the first time the existence of the cysteine synthase complexes in microalgae. The purified proteins have apparent molecular masses between 32–34 kDa and are thus slightly larger compared to those found in Arabidopsis thaliana and other vascular plants. The enhanced OASTL activity in S-starved cells can be attributed to increased amounts of plastidic and the emergence of cytosolic OASTL isoforms. The results provide proof-of-concept for the biochemical analysis of the cysteine synthase complex in diverse microalgal species.

ACS Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Markus Wirtz; Rüdiger Hell; Simona Carfagna. Affinity Purification of O-Acetylserine(thiol)lyase from Chlorella sorokiniana by Recombinant Proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. Metabolites 2014, 4, 629 -639.

AMA Style

Giovanna Salbitani, Markus Wirtz, Rüdiger Hell, Simona Carfagna. Affinity Purification of O-Acetylserine(thiol)lyase from Chlorella sorokiniana by Recombinant Proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. Metabolites. 2014; 4 (3):629-639.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovanna Salbitani; Markus Wirtz; Rüdiger Hell; Simona Carfagna. 2014. "Affinity Purification of O-Acetylserine(thiol)lyase from Chlorella sorokiniana by Recombinant Proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana." Metabolites 4, no. 3: 629-639.

Journal article
Published: 15 December 2011 in Journal of Plant Physiology
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We analyzed the effects of deprivation and subsequent restoration of sulphate (S) in the nutrient solution on cysteine (Cys) and O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) levels in Chlorella sorokiniana (211/8k). The removal of S from the culture medium caused a time-dependent increase in O-acetyl-L-serine(thiol)lyase (OASTL) activity and a decrease in soluble proteins content. The protein gel blot analysis was used to show that OASTL isoforms are located in the chloroplast and in the cytoplasm of S-starved cells. S-deprivation caused a decrease in the intracellular levels of Cys and glutathione (GSH) and an increase in serine (Ser) and OAS, reflecting an imbalance between sulphur and nitrogen assimilation. Re-supplying of sulphate to S-starved cells produced a decrease in OAS levels and concomitant rapid increase in Cys and GSH concentrations. The simultaneous addition of OAS and sulphate to S-starved cells did not further increase the concentration of Cys, suggesting the existence of a threshold level of intracellular Cys that is independent of the cellular concentration of OAS. Our findings that OAS is stored during S-starvation and that its quick decrease appears to be coupled with the increase of Cys levels upon re-supply of sulphate, imply that the central role that these two compounds play is in the regulation of sulphur-assimilating enzymes in response to the S status of the cell.

ACS Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Vincenza Vona; Sergio Esposito. Changes in cysteine and O-acetyl-l-serine levels in the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana in response to the S-nutritional status. Journal of Plant Physiology 2011, 168, 2188 -2195.

AMA Style

Simona Carfagna, Giovanna Salbitani, Vincenza Vona, Sergio Esposito. Changes in cysteine and O-acetyl-l-serine levels in the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana in response to the S-nutritional status. Journal of Plant Physiology. 2011; 168 (18):2188-2195.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Carfagna; Giovanna Salbitani; Vincenza Vona; Sergio Esposito. 2011. "Changes in cysteine and O-acetyl-l-serine levels in the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana in response to the S-nutritional status." Journal of Plant Physiology 168, no. 18: 2188-2195.