The academic paper authored by Ms. Most Fahima Ahmed Anny, a doctoral course student at The University of Shiga Prefecture, alongside co-authors Professor Syuhei Ban, etc. was recently published in the international journal "Biochemical Engineering Journal"*. The paper titled "Enhancement of β-glucan production in two Arthrospira species cultivating in anaerobic digestion effluent of water hyacinth".

The microalgae Arthrospira, called spirulina, contains nutrients such as protein and β-glucan, a type of dietary fiber found in barley, oats, and mushrooms. The paper analyzed the biochemical composition of two species of Arthrospira cultivated using anaerobically treated effluent from water hyacinth, aquatic weeds whose overgrowth is a problem around the world. The content of β-glucan was 1.5 to 7 times higher than when cultivated in a general culture medium. 
The findings of this study indicate that utilizing effluent for cultivating Arthrospira has significant promise in producing algal material, including valuable biomolecules such as β-glucans from nuisance macrophytes while promoting sustainable nutrient recycling.

This study was conducted within the framework of the SATREPS-EARTH project.

*The “Biochemical Engineering Journal” has been approved by Division of Biochemical Engineering, the Society of Chemical Engineers, and contains a variety of papers on topics such as catalysts and environmental bioengineering.

Co-authors: Taiabur Rahman Tuhin (The University of Shiga Prefecture), Xin Liu (The University of Shiga Prefecture and Guangxi Academy of Sciences), Kohei Yoshiyama (The University of Shiga Prefecture), Shin-ichi Akizuki (Lecturer, Institute of Plankton Eco-engineering, Soka University), Tatsuki Toda (Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Soka University), Syuhei Ban (Professor, School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture)