Abstract:
Hyperinflation, poverty, and environmental
degradation lead to a sudden deterioration of the nutritional
status in Sri Lanka. Crop-based food supply is more
challenging due to rapid depletion of arable lands and limited
availability of seasonal crops. Native cyanobacteria from
extreme environments, specifically adapted with unique, richer
nutrient profiles, could be promising alternatives for cropbased food production. Minimal growth requirements ensure
their optimal growth in local environments and facilitate
convenient utilization with minimal disturbance to the local
biodiversity. In line with the above, 08 native cyanobacteria
namely; Leptolyngbya, Phormidium, Nostoc, Pseudanabaena,
Nodosilinea-I, Limnothrix, Nodosilinea-II, and Oscillatoria were
isolated and morphologically characterized from salt marsh
ecosystem in Mannar (8.9810° N, 79.9044° E), Sri Lanka, and
nutrient analysis was carried out to identify their potential as
promising natural alternatives to overcome food insecurity.
Dry biomass of the strains was analyzed for total carbohydrate
and protein contents using Dubois’ method and Lowry method,
respectively. Two strains showed more than 50% of total
protein contents with the highest (58.0%) in Pseudanabaena sp.
Three strains showed more than 40% of total carbohydrate
contents with the highest (44.6%) in Nodosilinea sp.-II. Two
more strains showed more than 25% of total carbohydrate
contents. Results were promising and comparable with/higher
than the contents found in general protein and carbohydrate
food sources, highlighting their significant potential to be
developed as macronutrient supplements. Rapid regeneration,
easy access and availability throughout the year, make their
utilization more promising over plant materials, as a
sustainable approach to overcome food insecurity.
