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Microalgae and Their Bioactive Molecules: From Basic Research to Applications
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Microalgae and Their Bioactive Molecules: From Basic Research to Applications

A topical collection in Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This collection belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Viewed by 22124

Editor

Dr. Xiaoling Miao

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: microalgae; bioactive compounds; metabolism; biofuels; biorefinery

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microalgae are a diverse group of autotrophic organisms that have the ability to grow rapidly, efficiently use light energy and fix atmospheric CO2. It is a rich source of a number of bioactive molecules, such as proteins, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and pigments with relevant commercial importance in health products, food and feed additives, cosmetics, energy sources, and so on. However, with the exception of some microalgal compounds that are already produced at a commercial level, the majority of the microalgal bioactive molecules are either not established in the market or still not commercialized. There is a future wider scope for production of sustainable environmentally microalgal high-value biomolecules.

This Topical Collection aims to collect papers dealing with the bioactive molecules from microalgae and their potential applications, a particular focus on new achievements in the field will be appreciated.

Dr. Xiaoling Miao
Collection Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • microalgae
  • bioactive molecules
  • microalgal compounds
  • microalgal biomolecules
  • microalgal high-value biomolecules
  • synthesis
  • industrial exploitation, application

Published Papers (8 papers)

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2024

Jump to: 2022, 2021

18 pages, 2281 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Analysis of Lutein and Loroxanthin in Scenedesmus obliquus: From Quantification to Isolation
by Ayşegül Erdoğan, Ayça Büşra Karataş, Dilan Demir, Zeliha Demirel, Merve Aktürk, Öykü Çopur, Ali Çağır and Meltem Conk-Dalay
Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1228; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061228 - 09 Mar 2024
Viewed by 786
Abstract
Carotenoids are hydrophobic pigments produced exclusively by plants, fungi, and specific microbes. Microalgae are well suited for the production of valuable carotenoids due to their rapid growth, efficient isoprenoid production pathway, and ability to store these compounds within their cells. The possible markets [...] Read more.
Carotenoids are hydrophobic pigments produced exclusively by plants, fungi, and specific microbes. Microalgae are well suited for the production of valuable carotenoids due to their rapid growth, efficient isoprenoid production pathway, and ability to store these compounds within their cells. The possible markets for bio-products range from feed additives in aquaculture and agriculture to pharmaceutical uses. The production of carotenoids in microalgae is affected by several environmental conditions, which can be utilized to enhance productivity. The current study focused on optimizing the extraction parameters (time, temperature, and extraction number) to maximize the yield of carotenoids. Additionally, the impact of various nitrogen sources (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and urea) on the production of lutein and loroxanthin in Scenedesmus obliquus was examined. To isolate the carotenoids, 0.20 g of biomass was added to 0.20 g of CaCO3 and 10.0 mL of ethanol solution containing 0.01% (w/v) pyrogallol. Subsequently, the extraction was performed using an ultrasonic bath for a duration of 10 min at a temperature of 30 °C. This was followed by a four-hour saponification process using a 10% methanolic KOH solution. The concentration of lutein and loroxanthin was measured using HPLC–DAD at 446 nm, with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min using a Waters YMC C30 Carotenoid column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm). The confirmation of carotenoids after their isolation using preparative chromatography was achieved using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) probe and UV–vis spectroscopy. In summary, S. obliquus shows significant promise for the large-scale extraction of lutein and loroxanthin. The findings of this study provide strong support for the application of this technology to other species. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2021

13 pages, 2061 KiB  
Article
A Two-Stage Culture Strategy for Scenedesmus sp. FSP3 for CO2 Fixation and the Simultaneous Production of Lutein under Light and Salt Stress
by Jiawei Li, Xinqing Zhao, Jo-Shu Chang and Xiaoling Miao
Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7497; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217497 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1285
Abstract
In this study, Scenedesmus sp. FSP3 was cultured using a two-stage culture strategy for CO2 fixation and lutein production. During the first stage, propylene carbonate was added to the medium, with 5% CO2 introduced to promote the rapid growth and CO [...] Read more.
In this study, Scenedesmus sp. FSP3 was cultured using a two-stage culture strategy for CO2 fixation and lutein production. During the first stage, propylene carbonate was added to the medium, with 5% CO2 introduced to promote the rapid growth and CO2 fixation of the microalgae. During the second stage of cultivation, a NaCl concentration of 156 mmol L−1 and a light intensity of 160 μmol m−2 s−1 were used to stimulate the accumulation of lutein in the microalgal cells. By using this culture method, high lutein production and CO2 fixation were simultaneously achieved. The biomass productivity and carbon fixation rate of Scenedesmus sp. FSP3 reached 0.58 g L−1 d−1 and 1.09 g L−1 d−1, with a lutein content and yield as high as 6.45 mg g−1 and 2.30 mg L−1 d−1, respectively. The results reveal a commercially feasible way to integrate microalgal lutein production with CO2 fixation processes. Full article
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Graphical abstract

10 pages, 1291 KiB  
Article
Heterotrophic Cultivation of Euglena gracilis in Stirred Tank Bioreactor: A Promising Bioprocess for Sustainable Paramylon Production
by Franjo Ivušić, Tonči Rezić and Božidar Šantek
Molecules 2022, 27(18), 5866; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27185866 - 09 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1870
Abstract
Paramylon is a valuable intracellular product of the microalgae Euglena gracilis, and it can accumulate in Euglena cells according to the cultivation conditions. For the sustainable production of paramylon and appropriate cell growth, different bioreactor processes and industrial byproducts can be considered [...] Read more.
Paramylon is a valuable intracellular product of the microalgae Euglena gracilis, and it can accumulate in Euglena cells according to the cultivation conditions. For the sustainable production of paramylon and appropriate cell growth, different bioreactor processes and industrial byproducts can be considered as substrates. In this study, a complex medium with corn steep solid (CSS) was used, and various bioreactor processes (batch, fed batch, semicontinuous and continuous) were performed in order to maximize paramylon production in the microalgae Euglena gracilis. Compared to the batch, fed batch and repeated batch bioprocesses, during the continuous bioprocess in a stirred tank bioreactor (STR) with a complex medium containing 20 g/L of glucose and 25 g/L of CSS, E. gracilis accumulated a competitive paramylon content (67.0%), and the highest paramylon productivity of 0.189 g/Lh was observed. This demonstrated that the application of a continuous bioprocess, with corn steep solid as an industrial byproduct, can be a successful strategy for efficient and economical paramylon production. Full article
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17 pages, 1754 KiB  
Review
Microfluidic Microalgae System: A Review
by Anand Baby Alias, Shubhanvit Mishra, Gaurav Pendharkar, Chi-Shuo Chen, Cheng-Hsien Liu, Yi-Ju Liu and Da-Jeng Yao
Molecules 2022, 27(6), 1910; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27061910 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3492
Abstract
Microalgae that have recently captivated interest worldwide are a great source of renewable, sustainable and economical biofuels. The extensive potential application in the renewable energy, biopharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries have made them necessary resources for green energy. Microalgae can substitute liquid fossil fuels [...] Read more.
Microalgae that have recently captivated interest worldwide are a great source of renewable, sustainable and economical biofuels. The extensive potential application in the renewable energy, biopharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries have made them necessary resources for green energy. Microalgae can substitute liquid fossil fuels based on cost, renewability and environmental concern. Microfluidic-based systems outperform their competitors by executing many functions, such as sorting and analysing small volumes of samples (nanolitre to picolitre) with better sensitivities. In this review, we consider the developing uses of microfluidic technology on microalgal processes such as cell sorting, cultivation, harvesting and applications in biofuels and biosensing. Full article
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11 pages, 3330 KiB  
Article
Development and Optimization of CRISPR Prime Editing System in Photoautotrophic Cells
by Zhengzheng Jiang, Abdullah, Shun Zhang, Yuli Jiang, Rui Liu and Yi Xiao
Molecules 2022, 27(6), 1758; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27061758 - 08 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2959
Abstract
Prime editor (PE), a versatile editor that allows the insertion and deletion of arbitrary sequences, and all 12-point mutations without double-strand breaks (DSB) and a donor template, dramatically enhances research capabilities. PE combines nickase Cas9(H840A) and reverse transcriptase (RT), along with prime editing [...] Read more.
Prime editor (PE), a versatile editor that allows the insertion and deletion of arbitrary sequences, and all 12-point mutations without double-strand breaks (DSB) and a donor template, dramatically enhances research capabilities. PE combines nickase Cas9(H840A) and reverse transcriptase (RT), along with prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA). It has been reported in several plant species, but a weak editing efficiency has led to a decrease in applications. This study reports an optimized-prime editor (O-PE) for endogenous gene editing in Arabidopsis thaliana cells, with an average 1.15% editing efficiency, which is 16.4-fold higher than previously reported. Meanwhile, we observed an increase in indels when testing alternative reverse transcriptase and found out that nCas9(H840A) fused to non-functional reverse transcriptase was responsible for the increase. This work develops an efficient prime editor for plant cells and provides a blueprint for applying PE in other photoautotrophic cells, such as microalgae, that have a high industrial value. Full article
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14 pages, 1796 KiB  
Article
Occurrence of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids (MAAs) from the Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon Strains
by Hang Zhang, Yongguang Jiang, Chi Zhou, Youxin Chen, Gongliang Yu, Liping Zheng, Honglin Guan and Renhui Li
Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051734 - 07 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are widespread in various microbes and protect them against harsh environments. Here, four different Aphanizomenon species were isolated from severely eutrophic waterbodies, Lake Dianchi and the Guanqiao fishpond. Morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analysis verified that the CHAB5919, 5921, [...] Read more.
Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are widespread in various microbes and protect them against harsh environments. Here, four different Aphanizomenon species were isolated from severely eutrophic waterbodies, Lake Dianchi and the Guanqiao fishpond. Morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analysis verified that the CHAB5919, 5921, and 5926 strains belonged to the Aphanizomenon flos-aquae clade while Guanqiao01 belonged to the Aphanizomenon gracile clade. Full wavelength scanning proved that there was obvious maximal absorption at 334 nm through purified methanol extraction, and these substances were further analyzed by HPLC and UPLC-MS-MS. The results showed that two kinds of MAAs were discovered in the cultured Aphanizomenon strains. One molecular weight was 333.28 and the other was 347.25, and the daughter fragment patterns were in accordance with the previously articles reported shinorine and porphyra-334 ion characters. The concentration of the MAAs was calibrated from semi-prepared MAAs standards from dry cells of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 algal powder, and the purity of shinorine and porphyra-334 were 90.2% and 85.4%, respectively. The average concentrations of shinorine and porphyra-334 were 0.307–0.385 µg/mg and 0.111–0.136 µg/mg in Aphanizomenon flos-aquae species, respectively. And there was only one kind of MAAs (shinorine) in Aphanizomenon gracile species.,with a content of 0.003–0.049 µg/mg dry weight among all Aphanizomenon gracile strains. The shinorine concentration in Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was higher than that in Aphanizomenon gracile strains. The total MAAs production can be ranked as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae > Aphanizomenon gracile. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2024, 2022

15 pages, 2787 KiB  
Review
The Active Phytohormone in Microalgae: The Characteristics, Efficient Detection, and Their Adversity Resistance Applications
by Chun Wang, Mei Qi, Jiameng Guo, Chengxu Zhou, Xiaojun Yan, Roger Ruan and Pengfei Cheng
Molecules 2022, 27(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010046 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5317
Abstract
Phytohormones are a class of small organic molecules that are widely used in higher plants and microalgae as chemical messengers. Phytohormones play a regulatory role in the physiological metabolism of cells, including promoting cell division, increasing stress tolerance, and improving photosynthetic efficiency, and [...] Read more.
Phytohormones are a class of small organic molecules that are widely used in higher plants and microalgae as chemical messengers. Phytohormones play a regulatory role in the physiological metabolism of cells, including promoting cell division, increasing stress tolerance, and improving photosynthetic efficiency, and thereby increasing biomass, oil, chlorophyll, and protein content. However, traditional abiotic stress methods for inducing the accumulation of energy storage substances in microalgae, such as high light intensity, high salinity, and heavy metals, will affect the growth of microalgae and will ultimately limit the efficient accumulation of energy storage substances. Therefore, the addition of phytohormones not only helps to reduce production costs but also improves the efficiency of biofuel utilization. However, accurate and sensitive phytohormones determination and analytical methods are the basis for plant hormone research. In this study, the characteristics of phytohormones in microalgae and research progress for regulating the accumulation of energy storage substances in microalgae by exogenous phytohormones, combined with abiotic stress conditions at home and abroad, are summarized. The possible metabolic mechanism of phytohormones in microalgae is discussed, and possible future research directions are put forward, which provide a theoretical basis for the application of phytohormones in microalgae. Full article
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23 pages, 3179 KiB  
Article
Experimental Design and Optimization of Recovering Bioactive Compounds from Chlorella vulgaris through Conventional Extraction
by Ioulia Georgiopoulou, Soultana Tzima, Georgia D. Pappa, Vasiliki Louli, Epaminondas Voutsas and Kostis Magoulas
Molecules 2022, 27(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010029 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2816
Abstract
Microalgae contain an abundance of valuable bioactive compounds such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phenolics and, consequently, present great commercial interest. The aim of this work is the study and optimization of recovering the aforementioned components from the microalgae species Chlorella vulgaris through conventional [...] Read more.
Microalgae contain an abundance of valuable bioactive compounds such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phenolics and, consequently, present great commercial interest. The aim of this work is the study and optimization of recovering the aforementioned components from the microalgae species Chlorella vulgaris through conventional extraction in a laboratory-scale apparatus using a “green” mixture of ethanol/water 90/10 v/v. The effect of three operational conditions—namely, temperature (30–60 °C), duration (6–24 h) and solvent-to-biomass ratio (20–90 mLsolv/gbiom), was examined regarding the extracts’ yield (gravimetrically), antioxidant activity, phenolic, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents (spectrophotometric assays), as well as concentration in key carotenoids, i.e., astaxanthin, lutein, and β-carotene (reversed-phase–high-performance liquid chromatography (RP–HPLC)). For this purpose, a face-centered central composite design (FC-CCD) was employed. Data analysis resulted in the optimal extraction conditions of 30 °C, for 24 h with 37 mLsolv/gbiom and validation of the predicted models led to 15.39% w/w yield, 52.58 mgextr/mgDPPH (IC50) antioxidant activity, total phenolic, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content of 18.23, 53.47 and 9.92 mg/gextr, respectively, and the total sum of key carotenoids equal to 4.12 mg/gextr. The experimental data and predicted results were considered comparable, and consequently, the corresponding regression models were sufficiently reliable for prediction. Full article
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