AQUACULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS

MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
Marine biotechnology (or blue biotechnology) is considered an area of great interest and potential due to the contribution for the building of an eco-sustainable and highly efficient society. The aquatic environments are still not fully explored and their resources could play an important role for various industrial activities. Different research priorities could be identified in the field on marine biotechnology to show the vision of the developments and perspectives for the next few years (Buonocore & Francesco; 2012).

ADHESIVES

Marine mussels, such as the blue mussel, M. edulis, attach to a variety of surfaces in an aqueous environment by using a natural adhesive that is incredibly strong and durable (Silverman & Roberto; 2008). Adhesion of two marine bacteria Shewanella sp. strain T1 and Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain T8, on differently terminated alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers on gold was investigated. Biofilm production, having as a main product an Exopolysaccharide (EPS), which is providing the adhesive property to bacteria to adhere to the surfaces of the gold layer (Zhao et al., 2009).

Yersinia ruckeri

ADHESIVES

An strain (environmental strain) of Yersinia ruckeri, a fish pathogenic bacterium, are characterized according to the ability to adhere on wood, concrete, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and fiberglass, four materials commonly found in fish farms (Coquet et al., 2002).

Mytilus edulis Pseudoalteromonas sp Shewanella sp.

DRUGS

New lipopeptide named Tauramamide (isolated of cultures of the marine bacterial isolate Brevibacillus laterosporus PNG276) showed potent and relatively selective activity against the important Gram-positive human pathogen Enterococcus sp. Tauramamide is a new lipopeptide antibiotic that contains two D-amino acids and is acylated at the N-terminus (Debbab et al., 2010). The use of probiotics for aquaculture is increasing with the demand for environment friendly sustainable aquaculture. The benefits of such supplements include improved feed value, enzymatic contribution to digestion, inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activity, and increased immune response (Pandiyan et al., 2013).

DRUGS

Beta-glucosidase inhibitors are being extensively studied for use as anti-diabetics, antiobesity and anti-tumour compounds.

A significant number of marine bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and Actinobacteria to produce inhibitor compounds of the -glucosidase (Pandey et al., 2013).

Tauramamide

ANTICANCER

Seaweeds, being prolific sources of bioactive components have garnered unprecedented interest in recent times. The complex polysaccharides from the brown, red and green seaweeds possess broad spectrum therapeutic properties. Especially, the sulfated polysaccharides, viz. fucans, carrageenans and ulvans have exhibited properties antioxidant, antitumor, immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory (Patel, 2012). "Triterpene glycoside" (TG) found Psolus patagonicus in one of the approximately 1200 known species of "sea cucumber" has the ability to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells obtained from human breast tumors, liver and lung.

ANTICANCER

Echinosporin (7-deoxyechinosporin, tricyclic acetal-lactones, are produced by Streptomyces albogriseolus A2002 isolated from a sea sediment sample) was shown to inhibit the proliferation of human myelogenous leukemia K562, colon carcinoma HCT-15 and mouse mammary carcinoma tsFT210 cell lines in vitro (Olano, Mendez & Salas, 2009).

FUNGICIDE

Much research has shown that killer yeasts can be applied to control the growth of pathogenic yeasts in humans, animals, and plants (Marquina et al. 2002). Killer toxins produced by some yeast strains are low molecular mass proteins or glycoprotein toxins which kill sensitive cells of the same or related yeast genera without direct cellcell contact (Magliani et al. 1997). Killer toxins of strains from Williopsis saturnus WC91-2 and Pichia anomala YF07b. Inhibition and hydrolysis of cell wall of the sensitive cells. (Peng et al. 2009)

Reference: Chi, Zhen-Ming, Guanglei Liu, Shoufeng Zhao, Jing Li, and Ying Peng. 2010. Marine yeasts as biocontrol agents and producers of bio-products. Applied microbiology and biotechnology 86(5)

CHITIN AND CHITOSAN

In the last decade, an increasing number of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), chitin and chitosan applications have been reported. Their commercial demands have been extended to different markets, such as cosmetics, medicine, biotechnology, food and textiles. Marine wastes from fisheries and aquaculture are susceptible sources for polymers but optimized processes for their recovery and production.

Reference: Vzquez, Jos Antonio, Isabel Rodrguez-Amado, Mara Ignacia Montemayor, Javier Fraguas, Mara Del Pilar Gonzlez, and Miguel Anxo Murado. 2013. Chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic Acid and chitin/chitosan production using marine waste sources: characteristics, applications and eco-friendly processes: a review. Marine drugs 11(3): 74774.

CHITIN AND CHITOSAN

Reference: Vzquez, Jos Antonio, Isabel Rodrguez-Amado, Mara Ignacia Montemayor, Javier Fraguas, Mara Del Pilar Gonzlez, and Miguel Anxo Murado. 2013. Chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic Acid and chitin/chitosan production using marine waste sources: characteristics, applications and eco-friendly processes: a review. Marine drugs 11(3): 74774.

NON-MEDICAL PRODUCT

Seaweed is a highly attractive marine crop for the production of biofuels, due to its rapid growth rate as well as high polysaccharide and low lignin content. One appealing exploitation route is the production of biogas by anaerobic digestion (Pope et al., 2012).

NON-MEDICAL PRODUCT

Cosmeceuticals, derived from the words cosmetic and pharmaceutical, have drug-like benefits and contain active ingredients such as vitamins, phytochemicals, enzymes, antioxidants, and essential oils. Algae extracts are rich in polysaccharides and bioactive substances. Chondrus cripsus, a red algae, is rich in polysaccharides and minerals, including manganese, zinc, calcium, and magnesium which attributed to hydrating, soothing, healing and conditioning effects (Kwon Kim et al., 2008).

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATION

In the marine environment, several factors such as routine shipping operations, transport of oil in tankers, and ballast water cause chronic pollution. Salt tolerant strains of Yarrowia lipolytica have been isolated from hypersaline and marine locations implicating that this fungus may be playing a significant role in such environments (Butinar et al. 2005; Kim et al. 2007; Zinjarde et al. 2008).

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATION

Reference: Bankar, Ashok V, Ameeta R Kumar, and Smita S Zinjarde. 2009. Environmental and industrial applications of Yarrowia lipolytica. Applied microbiology and biotechnology 84(5): 84765.

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATION

The polysaccharide isolated from sponge-associated Bacillus licheniformis has several features that provide a tool for better exploration of novel anti-biofilm compounds.

Inhibiting biofilm formation of a wide range of bacteria without affecting their growth appears to represent a special feature of the polysaccharide (Sayem et al., 2011).

BIOSENSOR

Bioluminescent bacteria using the detection of toxic chemicals has been proposed for over 20 years and have been described several tests that are commercially available. Measuring the toxicity of a given compound, by a relatively simple method, based on measurement of the decrease in the production of bioluminescence by adding microbial cultures toxic components (Czyz & Wegrzyn, 2002).

BIOSENSOR

Psychotropic bacteriabased biosensor that can be used in low temperature seawater for the analysis of nitrate + nitrite (NOx).

The sensor can be used to resolve concentrations below 1 mol L1 at low temperature (<2.5C) and high salinity (35), and in situ use in the deep sea was demonstrated by measuring NOx profiles in sediment at 1500 m depth, where the temperature was 2.5C (Revsbech & Nhr Glud, 2009).

Reference: Revsbech, Niels Peter, and Ronnie Nhr Glud. 2009. Biosensor for laboratory and lander-based analysis of benthic nitrate plus nitrite distribution in marine environments. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 7(x): 761770.