Abstract
The inXuence of temperature and pH on biomass production and protein biosynthesis in a Spirulinasp. isolated from an oil-polluted
brackish water environment in the Niger Delta was studied. The isolated organism was identiWed on the basis of its phenotypic character-istics such as nature and direction of helix, temperature, pH and salt tolerance ranges. Biomass concentration in the culture media was
calculated as cell dry weight. The combination of 30 °C and pH 9.0 gave the highest values of 4.9 mg/ml and 48.2 g/100 g for biomass and
total crude protein, respectively. The eVect of pH was modulated by temperature and vice versa during biomass production. This native
isolate of Spirulinasp. oVers a good source of natural protein that could be easily accepted by rural communities as single cell protein in
the form of feed, food and health supplement when properly processed.
©2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd