Significance of carbohydrate pathway in the maximization of biofuel production in Botryococcus sp: A Brief Review

Abstract

Botryococcus spp. are green microalgae (Chlorophyta) known to contain an abundant amount of hydrocarbons, lipids and other bioactive constituents such as ether based lipids, fatty acids, polysaccharides and carotenoids which are used for commercial applications. In comparison with higher plants, after microalgae fix carbon dioxide (CO2), they have a greater ability to convert it into biomass and subsequently into products of interest. Some significant studies on the optimization of lipid biosynthetic pathways in microalgae for biofuel production are available since Botryococcus spp. have been known to contain a high amount of lipid in their cells. However, carbohydrates pathways, which are also precursors for biofuel production have been overlooked. This brief review aims to provide insights into the need to consider carbohydrates pathway in Botryococcus spp. to maximize biofuel production in microalgae.