Abstract
Malnutrition is a major challenge in Madagascar. Spirulina, a nutrient-rich alicament, offers a viable solution to supplement the diet of underprivileged populations. Its high content of phycocyanin—a powerful antioxidant—is particularly valuable for strengthening the immune system and is sought after in food, cosmetics, and medicine. Despite the existence of around thirty spirulina farms in Madagascar, the potential of locally produced phycocyanin remains underexploited. This study focused on extracting phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis var. toliarensis (from the SPIRUSUD company). Researchers evaluated four extraction methods: water, solvent, freezing, and maceration with glycerol. The solvent-based method yielded the highest purity (3.44%), followed closely by maceration with glycerol (3.3%). Water and freezing methods showed slightly lower results. The extracted phycocyanin solution was successfully converted to a powder form via freeze-drying, yielding an average proportion of 4.38%. The stability of the liquid extract was also optimized. While the unstabilized aqueous phycocyanin solution has an impressive shelf life of up to three years, adding the stabilizer “vegetable glycerin” at a 70/30 volume ratio extended its shelf life to over three months. The researchers concluded that maceration with glycerol is the optimal extraction method. The key recommendation is to popularize spirulina as a sustainable Malagasy resource for nutrition, health, and environmental benefits, and to develop the commercial exploitation of phycocyanin, a promising blue pigment that is currently underutilized.
Presenters
Jessica Tonia TolodrazaStudent, Master, Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines (IH.SM), Toliara, Madagascar
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
SPIRULINA, PHYCOCYANIN, ALICAMENT, SUNSTAINABLE, MADAGASCAR
