Microalgae-Based Ingredients and Food Products: Biotechnological Production and Application

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2025 | Viewed by 1902

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Food Science and Technology Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
Interests: microalgae biotechnology; photobioreactor engineering; environmental assessment; sustainability indicators and metrics; microalgae-based processes and products

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Food Science and Technology Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
Interests: microalgae biotechnology; bioprocess engineering; sustainable engineering; microalgae-based processes and products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Food Science and Technology Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
Interests: microalgae biotechnology; microalgae-based products; natural pigments; carotenoids; chlorophylls; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food is one of the basic needs of life. Spiral problems associated with food demand and climate change have triggered a dilemma between food and sustainability, requiring crucial advances and innovative skills for the development of next-generation food ingredients. Thus, microalgal biomass—a proposed gold mine—has opened a new door for the sustainable food industry. Their cells, powered by photosynthesis, are sustainable expression chassis for multiple metabolites of nutritional interest. However, for microalgae-based ingredients to move from a flash-in-the-pan innovation to an industrial consolidation, science, engineering, and technology should build robust bridges over the old chasms that compose the death valley of microalgal biotechnology. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, short communications, and opinions about microalgae-based ingredient applications in the food industry, emphasizing the main considerations and recommendations on (i) microalgae strains; (ii) the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of microalgae compounds; (iii) bioprocesses and bioengineering; (iv) sustainability metrics and indicators; and (v) policy interventions and regulatory issues.

Dr. Mariany Costa Deprá
Prof. Dr. Eduardo Jacob-Lopes
Dr. Leila Queiroz Zepka
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microalgae strains
  • primary and secondary metabolites
  • bioactive compounds
  • bioavailability and bioaccessibility
  • upstream and downstream processing
  • integration and intensification processes
  • sustainability metrics and indicators
  • sensorial and social acceptance
  • policy and regulatory issues

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 11035 KiB  
Article
Exploration of the Biotechnological Potential of Two Newly Isolated Haematococcus Strains from Reunion Island for the Production of Natural Astaxanthin
by Samuel Jannel, Yanis Caro, Marc Bermudes and Thomas Petit
Foods 2024, 13(22), 3681; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223681 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Haematococcus lacustris is a freshwater green microalgae species able to produce and accumulate astaxanthin in response to environmental stresses such as high light and nutrient deprivation. Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid of growing economic interest due to its numerous biological activities, notably its [...] Read more.
Haematococcus lacustris is a freshwater green microalgae species able to produce and accumulate astaxanthin in response to environmental stresses such as high light and nutrient deprivation. Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid of growing economic interest due to its numerous biological activities, notably its strong antioxidant properties, which can be valued in the fields of nutrition, health, feed and aquaculture. The present study aims at evaluating the capacity of two newly isolated Haematococcus strains from the biodiversity of Reunion Island, to be cultivated in a photobioreactor and to produce astaxanthin. The results showed that both strains were able to grow in various nutritive media and to produce and accumulate astaxanthin in response to stresses, mainly in the form of astaxanthin monoesters, which represented up to 2% of the dry biomass weight and which were mostly composed of linoleic and linolenic acids. In fed-batch cultures using 3 L benchtop photobioreactors, the concentrations of biomass enriched in astaxanthin reached up to 3 g L−1 (dry weight) with biomass productivities of 0.04 and 0.02 g L−1 d−1 based on the durations of the vegetative stage and of the entire culture, respectively. In these cultures, the astaxanthin productivities were found to reach on average around 0.25 mg L−1 d−1. Although these results were relatively low compared to the literature, the possibility of improving growth conditions in order to improve biomass and astaxanthin yields, to guarantee economic viability for cultivation at a commercial scale, was further discussed. Full article
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15 pages, 4443 KiB  
Article
Serum-Free Medium Supplemented with Haematococcus pluvialis Extracts for the Growth of Human MRC-5 Fibroblasts
by Eun-Jeong Koh, Seong-Yeong Heo, Areumi Park, Yeon-Ji Lee, Woon-Yong Choi and Soo-Jin Heo
Foods 2024, 13(18), 3012; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13183012 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1085
Abstract
Experiments are increasingly performed in vitro; therefore, cell culture technology is essential for scientific progress. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a key cell culture supplement providing growth factors, amino acids, and hormones. However, FBS is not readily available on the market, has contamination [...] Read more.
Experiments are increasingly performed in vitro; therefore, cell culture technology is essential for scientific progress. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a key cell culture supplement providing growth factors, amino acids, and hormones. However, FBS is not readily available on the market, has contamination risks, and has ethical concerns. This study aimed to investigate Haematococcus pluvialis extracts (HE) as a potential substitute for FBS. Therefore, we assessed the effects of HE on cell maintenance, growth, and cycle progression in human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5). Cell progression and monosaccharide, fatty acid, and free amino acid compositions were analyzed using cell cycle analysis, bio-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The results of nutritional profiles showed that the extracts contained essential amino acids required for synthesizing non-essential amino acids and other metabolic intermediates. Furthermore, most of the components present in HE were consistent with those found in FBS. HE enhanced cell viability and regulated cell cycle phases. Additionally, the interaction between growth factor cocktails and HE significantly improved cell viability, promoted cell cycle progression, and activated key cell cycle regulators, such as cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinases 1 (CDK1). Our findings suggest that HE have considerable potential to substitute FBS in MRC-5 cell cultures and have functional and ethical advantages. Full article
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