Resumen

As the global population and demand for sustainably developed goods and services increase, attention is increasingly turned to cyanobacteria as a globally-accessible source of diverse compounds of interest to various industries. Despite their wide-ranging potential, some genera like Calothrix (Cyanophyceae: Nostocales) remain largely undescribed, and their antibacterial, antifungal, and prebiotic potential largely unexplored. In this study we characterize the amino acid and elemental content, as well as antioxidant activity of a Calothrix strain collected from a damp terrestrial ecosystem in Antioquia, Colombia and assess its antimicrobial and prebiotic activity. We also describe the effects that light treatments (white light, red light, no light), glucose additions, and nitrogen additions had on culture growth. Calothrix sp. had 16 different kinds of amino acids (highest concentrations: aspartic acid, alanine, glycine, and glutamic acid showed highest concentrations), eight elements (highest concentrations: sodium and calcium), exhibited antioxidant activity in three different assays, inhibited the growth of three pathogenic bacteria and one fungal species, and promoted the growth of two probiotic bacteria. Highest growth of Calothrix sp. was achieved under white light with glucose (0.3 g L -1 ) and added nitrogen (0.2 g L -1). The beneficial properties observed in this study highlight the need for further research on Calothrix species to further explore its metabolite profiling as well as the mechanisms responsible for antimicrobial and prebiotic activities. Pending further investigation, this Calothrix sp. strain has potential for application in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and other industries.