Lipidomics in Marine Microalgae and Seaweeds: Applications and Perspectives

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biotechnology Related to Drug Discovery or Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 5028

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Researcher, CESAM—Centre of Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: lipidomics; marine lipids; bioactive lipids; fatty acids

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Guest Editor
Researcher, LAQV-REQUIMTE—Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: mass spectrometry; lipidomics; algae lipids; PUFA
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine microalgae and seaweeds stand out for their immense potential as rich sources of valuable compounds, with lipids being pivotal among them. These key structural and functional biomolecules exhibit remarkable diversity, encompassing various classes characterised by distinct structural features. Ranging from fatty acids and sterols to more complex lipids such as phospholipids, glycolipids, and betaine lipids, each class contributes unique functional properties contingent upon its structural characteristics. Of particular significance, algae lipids emerge as a prominent source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), renowned for their association with health benefits. However, the significance of lipids extends beyond their role as PUFA sources. Algae lipids harbour bioactive properties and serve as vast reservoirs of phytochemicals, a field yet to be fully explored.

The unique properties of algae lipids make them particularly intriguing for applications in various fields, including nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. As the lipidomics field has experienced notable advancements in recent years, exploring the lipid profiles and bioactivity properties of marine algae has become paramount.

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring lipid-related topics specific to marine microalgae and seaweeds, particularly those employing lipidomics approaches. The scope encompasses the diversity of lipid profiles, the identification of novel lipid species, lipid metabolism, and the functional roles of lipids in these marine organisms. The manuscripts included in this Special Issue will delve into crucial aspects, including extraction methodologies, profiling techniques, and the evaluation of the biological activities of lipids recovered from biomass as by-products.

Dr. Diana Lopes
Dr. Ana S. P. Moreira
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • lipidomics
  • algae lipids
  • microalgae and seaweeds
  • lipid metabolism
  • fatty acids

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 1747 KiB  
Article
Stress-Induced Production of Bioactive Oxylipins in Marine Microalgae
by Amandyne Linares-Maurizi, Rana Awad, Anaelle Durbec, Guillaume Reversat, Valérie Gros, Jean-Marie Galano, Justine Bertrand-Michel, Thierry Durand, Rémi Pradelles, Camille Oger and Claire Vigor
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(9), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22090406 - 4 Sep 2024
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Abstract
Microalgae, stemming from a complex evolutionary lineage, possess a metabolic composition influenced by their evolutionary journey. They have the capacity to generate diverse polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), akin to those found in terrestrial plants and oily fish. Also, because of their numerous double [...] Read more.
Microalgae, stemming from a complex evolutionary lineage, possess a metabolic composition influenced by their evolutionary journey. They have the capacity to generate diverse polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), akin to those found in terrestrial plants and oily fish. Also, because of their numerous double bonds, these metabolic compounds are prone to oxidation processes, leading to the creation of valuable bioactive molecules called oxylipins. Moreover, owing to their adaptability across various environments, microalgae offer an intriguing avenue for biosynthesizing these compounds. Thus, modifying the culture conditions could potentially impact the profiles of oxylipins. Indeed, the accumulation of oxylipins in microalgae is subject to the influence of growth conditions, nutrient availability, and stressors, and adjusting these factors can enhance their production in microalgae culture. Consequently, the present study scrutinized the LC-MS/MS profiles of oxylipins from three marine microalgae species (two Haptagophytes and one Chlorophyte) cultivated in 1 L of photobioreactors under varying stress-inducing conditions, such as the introduction of H2O2, EtOAc, and NaCl, during their exponential growth phase. Approximately 50 oxylipins were identified, exhibiting different concentrations depending on the species and growth circumstances. This research suggests that microalgae metabolisms can be steered toward the production of bioactive oxylipins through modifications in the culture conditions. In this instance, the application of a low dose of hydrogen peroxide to Mi 124 appears to stimulate the production of nonenzymatic oxylipins. For Mi136, it is the application of salt stress that seems to increase the overall production of oxylipins. In the case of Mi 168, either a low concentration of H2O2 or a high concentration of AcOEt appears to have this effect. Full article
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16 pages, 951 KiB  
Article
Tracing the Impact of Domestic Storage Conditions on Antioxidant Activity and Lipid Profiles in the Edible Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Tetraselmis chui
by Diana Lopes, Felisa Rey, Alexandrina Gomes, Luís Duarte, João Pereira, Marisa Pinho, Tânia Melo and Rosário Domingues
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(6), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22060254 - 30 May 2024
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Abstract
The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Tetraselmis chui are valued for their nutrient-rich content, including lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). However, little is known about how storage and processing affect their lipid quality. This study aimed to assess the impact of domestic storage [...] Read more.
The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Tetraselmis chui are valued for their nutrient-rich content, including lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). However, little is known about how storage and processing affect their lipid quality. This study aimed to assess the impact of domestic storage and cooking practices in dried biomass of C. vulgaris and T. chui. Four conditions were tested: control (newly opened package), light (storage at room temperature and daily light regimen for three weeks), frozen (storage in the freezer at −20 °C for three weeks), and heated (three cycles of 90 min at 100 °C). Lipid extracts were analyzed by GC-MS and LC-MS, and antioxidant activity through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Tested storage conditions promoted a decrease in fatty acid content and in diacyl/lyso lipid species ratios of phospholipid (PC/LPC, PE/LPE) and betaine lipids (DGTS/MGTS). Lipid extracts from light treatment showed the lowest antioxidant activity in C. vulgaris (ABTS, IC40: 104.9; DPPH, IC20: 187.9 ± 15.0), while heat affected the antioxidant activity of T. chui (ABTS, IC40: 88.5 ± 2.8; DPPH, IC20 209.4 ± 10.9). These findings underscore the impact of managing storage and processing conditions to optimize the nutritional and functional benefits of C. vulgaris and T. chui in food and feed applications. Full article
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