Browsing by Author "Quito Vazquez, Ana Elizabeth"

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    Cultivo de microalgas y cianobacterias en lactosuero ácido y dulce: evaluación de la producción de biomasa y potencial nutricional
    (Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-09-03) Quito Vazquez, Ana Elizabeth; Sucuzhañay Macancela, Pamela Carolina; León Tamariz, Fabián
    In Ecuador, child malnutrition is a serious public health problem that affects the physical and intellectual development of children, despite the country's rich agricultural food supply. This situation is aggravated by high levels of food waste, which includes not only fresh produce, but also nutritious by-products such as whey. Of the total production of whey in the cheese industry, barely 10% is used, which represents a significant loss of nutrients and contributes to environmental issues. In order to explore new alternatives for utilization, the use of whey as a supplement in cultures of microorganisms with nutraceutical potential, specifically microalgae and cyanobacteria, was evaluated. Conventional culture media (BG-11 and WC) were modified by incorporating sweet and acid whey in concentrations of 5, 10 and 15%. Two strains were cultured: Chlorella vulgaris (MAAL 26) and a consortium of microalgae and cyanobacteria (MAAL 58). Biomass production, amount of carotenoids and total. The results indicated that both strains grew with both types of whey. MAAL 58 achieved its highest biomass production with 5% acid whey, while MAAL 26 did so with 5% sweet whey. The days of greatest growth presented a pH between 6 and 9, the latter being the most repeated value among the different cultures. The conductivity of the medium varied according to the culture; MAAL 58 showed the best performance with values of 2200 to 2800 µS/cm in BG-11, while MAAL 26 stood out with ranges of 560 to 1500 µS/cm in WC.