Archana Tiwari

By Marella Thomas Kiran, Mallimadugula Venkata Bhaskar and Archana Tiwari

Eutrophication as a result of human intervention has led to severe deterioration of fresh water habitats. Due to population growth, industrialization and uncontrolled use of fertilizers led to excess nutrient runoff entering into rivers and lakes; this has caused reduction in water quality and abnormal changes in ecosystem structure and function. A solution to this cultural eutrophication is an urgent necessity since nutrient accumulation renders controlling eutrophication more difficult over time. Using algae for reduction of nutrients is a unique technology, which utilizes the enormous potential of microalgae in restoring water quality. This has a huge potential in urban lakes where there is an urgent need to use such technologies in combination with existing ones to speed up the process to reduce the formation of hypereutrophic lakes and dead zones in oceans. In this book chapter, we explore the enormous potential of diatoms as cost-effective, efficient and eco-friendly remedy for complex problems related to eutrophication. We report the case studies on using diatom-based technology. This will give us a new insight into microalgae-based lake remediation strategies, which can significantly reduce the cost, manpower needed and negative environmental impacts involved in existing technologies.

Part of the book: Lake Sciences and Climate Change

By Archana Tiwari and Thomas Kiran

Biofuels are the most awaited products of scientific research. The fossil fuels are being exhausted, and pollution is increasing globally. Algal biofuels are one of the promising options. They are wonderful tiny factories that yield a variety of substances that have the property to act as sources of ecofriendly fuels. More attention has been focused on microalgae-derived biomass for generating diverse renewable energy sources. The distinct features that microalgae possess include high biomass yield, abundant oil content, no requirement for land and easy cultivation in wastewaters coupled with carbon dioxide mitigation. Microalgae are tiny reservoirs of a plethora of biofuels. The diverse algal biofuels range from biodiesel, straight vegetable oil (SVO), lipids, ethanol and hydrogen. Biofuels are the need of today, and researchers around the globe are exploring the options for biological fuel production.

Part of the book: Advances in Biofuels and Bioenergy

By Archana Tiwari

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic algae with outstanding endeavor to inhabit diverse habitats and are crowned with special metabolic acumen. Their morphological diversity is vivid and their ecological roles are magnificent and vital in nature ranging from nitrogen cycle to carbon dioxide mitigation. Their applications are now extensively explored and many novel compounds have been reported. The pigments, vitamins, lipids, proteins, polyketides, antioxidative enzymes, polysaccharides etc. derived from cyanobacteria are envisaged worldwide. Their diligent acumen makes them ideal tiny microbial factories for nutraceuticals, biofuels, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, wastewater remediation and many more. Further investigations can aid in elucidating more cyanobacterial secondary metabolites and innovative approaches towards their wider applicability in plethora of avenues as sustainable reservoirs.

Part of the book: Cyanobacteria

By Abhishek Saxena, Aditi Raj and Archana Tiwari

Cancer, the deadliest disease in the world, is taking away the lives of millions of people. The disease and its property of metastasis are still understudied. Various therapies have been discovered to cure this malignancy, but nearly all of them introduce a lot of side effects. Therapies such as radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, etc., are in vogue but are not so economical and approachable for many needy people. Since the nature of cancerous cells is very complex among different individuals, it becomes even more complex to treat them. In modern times, biologically active compounds extracted from plants, weeds, and, most importantly, algae (marine drugs) found in the sea have proved to possess excellent anti-cancer potential. However, the major bottlenecks are the extraction of active substances in ample quantity with high quality. This chapter describes the role of microalgae as anticancer agents. Several aspects of bioactive compounds and challenges linked to microalgae will be discussed. A brief account of nanotechnology and its role in the treatment of cancer in the context of microalgae will be highlighted. The level of algal properties that affect cell proliferation, cell arrest, and apoptosis is elaborated. The current scenario of this investigation is extensively discussed in the study, along with the chemical structure, pros and cons.

Part of the book: Progress in Microalgae Research

By Rashi Tyagi, Pankaj Kumar Singh and Archana Tiwari

The present-day scenario in the health sector calls for alternative medicine sources with no risk of resistance, effective in the mode of action, and eco-friendly. Cyanobacteria are microbial factories for a wide range of products. They are reservoirs of bioactive compounds which have the potential to act as precursors of novel drug molecules. A plethora of algae have been documented for their therapeutic abilities in treating diseases. A plethora of antioxidative compounds along with enzymes are present in cyanobacteria, possessing applications in nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals, which is quite evident from the products available in the market. This chapter highlights the significant leads in the area of cyanobacteria-based antioxidants. A sustainable approach to envisaging cyanobacteria as competent antioxidants can open new doors in prevention, treatment, and control of a plethora of diseases.

Part of the book: Cyanobacteria