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Explora: Environment
and Resource Anabaena-Azolla for crops and bioenergy

were evaluated per American Society for Testing and Biofuels can also create careers for people, develop local
Materials standards, highlighting their suitability as livelihoods, and improve agriculture. 88
renewable diesel alternatives. Even though there are advanced generations of
Research conducted by Golzary and team discovered biofuels, such as the third and fourth generations, each
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that A. filiculoides contains a lipid content of 11.7%, has its advantages and disadvantages. Azolla offers several
with saturated fatty acids accounting for 38.07% and benefits, including rapid growth, lower nutrient and water
monounsaturated fatty acids for 19.81%. Specifically, requirements, and a favorable lipid composition, making it
palmitic acid was found to be 27.11%, linoleic acid-ω6 at an ideal candidate for biodiesel production.
14.23%, linoleic acid-ω at 35.58%, and oleic acid at around
32.8%. These parameters indicate that the aquatic fern 11. Positive impacts of Azolla on plants and
Azolla can be used as a suitable organism in biorefineries. 95 the environment
Apart from its use as a biofertilizer, Azolla has also been Azolla can help overcome nutrient limitations to plant
utilized for biofuel extraction from its lipid composition. growth by enhancing nutrient acquisition. It provides
The presence of ester-bound fatty acids can be converted various benefits to different plant genera as well as to the
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into biodiesel through a process known as trans- environment. These benefits include increasing crop
methylation. Given Azolla is an aquatic plant, the process quality and yield, promoting healthier plant growth,
of drying is essential during biomass processing. Brouwer enhancing flowering and fruiting ability, reducing disease
et al., 2015 studied the lipid fraction of A. filiculoides to occurrence, improving drought tolerance, allowing
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determine whether it can be used as biodiesel. The total reduced watering, and maintaining soil quality and nutrient
dry weight of crude lipids from the biomass was 7.92 ± recycling. The overall applications of the Anabaena-Azolla
0.14%. Total lipids with free fatty acids were found to be 4.2 are listed in Figure 5.
± 0.38%, and 41 ± 13% of fatty acids were converted into
fatty acid methyl esters after saponification with methanol. 11.1. Eco-friendly remediation with Anabaena-
A. filiculoides met all the requirements for biodiesel, such Azolla
as iodine value and cetane number, except for the cold A. azollae are regarded as an exciting natural bioresource
filter plugging point due to the higher concentration of with potential applications in industrial, medical,
lignoceric acids and mid-chain dihydroxy compounds. 96 and agricultural fields, where the physicochemical
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A review conducted by Arefin et al. compared the characteristics of soil texture are significantly improved
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biofuel production from a variety of aquatic plants. The by cyanobacterial biomass and/or extract. They are
lipid content of Azolla was 11.7% and 13.2%, Salvania also widely recognized for producing biologically active
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molesta (water fern) at 16%, water lettuce at 3.6%, 100 8.3 compounds effective against a variety of plant pathogens.
– 27%, and 7.6%, and Landoltia punctata (duckweed) In addition, Anabaena-Azolla is considered an effective
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at 15%. The lipid content of S. molesta (water fern) was phytoremediators of industrial wastewater. Urban
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higher compared to the other aquatic ferns. Regarding wastewater, treated by standard methods, can have
Azolla, transesterification is a much more effective method phosphorus removed using the A. filiculoides–Anabaena
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for transesterification, with an optimum temperature of 47 biosystem. The use of Azolla in bioremediation has
– 60°C and activated charcoal as an appropriate catalyst. recently gained attention. Large amounts of contaminants
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In the future, Azolla might provide a sustainable solution have been released into water resources due to rapid
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to overcome the limitations of conventional fossil fuels. population growth and industrialization. The hazardous
nature of these chemicals and their negative effects on
10.4. Benefits of biofuels plant and animal health are of great concern. Thus,
The primary purpose of the production of biofuels is phytoremediation presents a promising way to protect
to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Another reason is the aquatic environments from pollution. Azolla can be used
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potential depletion of fossil fuels in the near future, to purify polluted streams.
which necessitates the need for sustainable alternatives. In addition, Azolla biomass is used in the
Biofuels are renewable resources, greenhouse-gas neutral, phytoremediation of hazardous heavy metals. Three
and abundantly available from nature. They release separate species of Azolla – A. microphylla, A. pinnata,
little to no sulfur or nitrogen oxide gases, making them and A. filiculoides – have been recently studied for
environmentally safe. This ecologically sound fuel can their phytoremediation capacity, with A. microphylla
be easily produced by exploiting local resources, such as demonstrating a higher capacity for metal accumulation
plant/agricultural wastes or microbes, and is secure for use. compared to the others. Both living and dead Azolla
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Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 12 doi: 10.36922/eer.7975