Identification and quantification of fucoxanthin in selected carotenoid-producing marine microalgae and evaluation for their chemotherapeutic potential

Chemical characterization and antioxidant potential of Arthrospira sp., Thalassiosira sp., and Raphidonema sp

Microalgae are emerging as valuable sources of bioactive compounds. This study evaluates hexane extracts from Thalassiosira sp. and Raphidonema sp., and Arthrospira sp., for their bioactive potential. Saturated fatty acids predominated in Arthrospira sp. and Thalassiosira sp. while Raphidonema was rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Carotenoids, such as carotenes and xanthophylls, were abundant in Arthrospira sp., while Thalassiosira sp. contained chlorophylls and fucoxanthin derivatives, and Raphidonema sp. showed high levels of chlorophylls and xanthophylls. Antioxidant assays revealed up to 70 % radical scavenging activity, 60 % iron chelation, and up to 67 (μM) ferric-reducing power. Dose-dependent protective effects were observed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and HepG2 cells, with viability improvements up to 50 %, indicating their potential as antioxidant-rich ingredients for functional foods, promoting health and disease prevention. This study enhances our understanding of Thalassiosira sp. and Raphidonema sp. while underscoring the promising applications of microalgae extracts in functional foods.

Natural pigments: innovative extraction technologies and their potential application in health and food industries

Natural pigments, or natural colorants, are frequently utilized in the food industry due to their diverse functional and nutritional attributes. Beyond their color properties, these pigments possess several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and neuroprotective effects, as well as benefits for eye health. This review aims to provide a timely overview of the potential of natural pigments in the pharmaceutical, medical, and food industries. Special emphasis is placed on emerging technologies for natural pigment extraction (thermal technologies, non-thermal technologies, and supercritical fluid extraction), their pharmacological effects, and their potential application in intelligent food packaging and as food colorants. Natural pigments show several pharmaceutical prospects. For example, delphinidin (30 µM) significantly inhibited the growth of three cancer cell lines (B16-F10, EO771, and RM1) by at least 90% after 48 h. Furthermore, as an antioxidant agent, fucoxanthin at the highest concentration (50 μg/mL) significantly increased the ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulfide (p < 0.05). In the food industry, natural pigments have been used to improve the nutritional value of food without significantly altering the sensory experience. Moreover, the use of natural pH-sensitive pigments as food freshness indicators in intelligent food packaging is a cutting-edge technological advancement. This innovation could provide useful information to consumers, increase shelf life, and assist in evaluating the quality of packaged food by observing color variations over time. However, the use of natural pigments presents certain challenges, particularly regarding their stability and higher production costs compared to synthetic pigments. This situation underscores the need for further investigation into alternative pigment sources and improved stabilization methods. The instability of these natural pigments emphasizes their tendency to degrade and change color when exposed to various external conditions, including light, oxygen, temperature fluctuations, pH levels, and interactions with other substances in the food matrix.

Bioactive Lipids in Dunaliella salina: Implications for Functional Foods and Health

Dunaliella salina is a green microalga extensively explored for β-carotene production, while knowledge of its lipid composition is still limited and poorly investigated. Among lipids, polar lipids have been highlighted as bioactive phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. This research aimed to provide an in-depth lipidome profiling of D. salina using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The lipid content was 6.8%, including phospholipids, glycolipids, betaine lipids, sphingolipids, triglycerides, diglycerides, and pigments. Among the total esterified fatty acids, 13.6% were 18:3 omega-3 and 14.7% were 18:1 omega-9. The lipid extract of D. salina showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 activity at 100 µg/mL, dose-dependent antioxidant scavenging activity, and antidiabetic activity by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity at 25 and 125 µg/mL. In conclusion, the lipid extract of D. salina has the potential to be used as a functional food ingredient or in the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries.

Unlocking the Green Gold: Exploring the Cancer Treatment and the Other Therapeutic Potential of Fucoxanthin Derivatives from Microalgae

Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid widely studied in marine microalgae, is at the heart of scientific research because of its promising bioactive properties for human health. Its unique chemical structure and specific biosynthesis, characterized by complex enzymatic conversion in marine organisms, have been examined in depth in this review. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities of fucoxanthin have been rigorously supported by data from in vitro and in vivo experiments and early clinical trials. Additionally, this review explores emerging strategies to optimize the stability and efficacy of fucoxanthin, aiming to increase its solubility and bioavailability to enhance its therapeutic applications. However, despite these potential benefits, challenges persist, such as limited bioavailability and technological obstacles hindering its large-scale production. The medical exploitation of fucoxanthin thus requires an innovative approach and continuous optimization to overcome these barriers. Although further research is needed to refine its clinical use, fucoxanthin offers promising potential in the development of natural therapies aimed at improving human health. By integrating knowledge about its biosynthesis, mechanisms of action, and potential beneficial effects, future studies could open new perspectives in the treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Optimizing cultivation strategies and scaling up for fucoxanthin production using Pavlova sp

The microalgal-based production of fucoxanthin has emerged as an imperative research endeavor due to its antioxidant, and anticancer properties. In this study, three brown marine microalgae, namely Skeletonema costatum, Chaetoceros gracilis, and Pavlova sp., were screened for fucoxanthin production. All strains displayed promising results, with Pavlova sp. exhibiting the highest fucoxanthin content (27.91 mg/g) and productivity (1.16 mg/L·day). Moreover, the influence of various cultivation parameters, such as culture media, salinity, sodium nitrate concentration, inoculum size, light intensity, and iron concentration, were investigated and optimized, resulting in a maximum fucoxanthin productivity of 7.89 mg/L·day. The investigation was further expanded to large-scale outdoor cultivation using 50 L tubular photobioreactors, illustrating the potential of Pavlova sp. and the cultivation process for future commercialization. The biomass and fucoxanthin productivity for the large-scale cultivation were 70.7 mg/L·day and 4.78 mg/L·day, respectively. Overall, the findings demonstrated considerable opportunities for fucoxanthin synthesis via microalgae cultivation and processing.

Therapeutic potential of marine macrolides: An overview from 1990 to 2022

The sea is a vast ecosystem that has remained primarily unexploited and untapped, resulting in numerous organisms. Consequently, marine organisms have piqued the interest of scientists as an abundant source of natural resources with unique structural features and fascinating biological activities. Marine macrolide is a top-class natural product with a heavily oxygenated polyene backbone containing macrocyclic lactone. In the last few decades, significant efforts have been made to isolate and characterize macrolides' chemical and biological properties. Numerous macrolides are extracted from different marine organisms such as marine microorganisms, sponges, zooplankton, molluscs, cnidarians, red algae, tunicates, and bryozoans. Notably, the prominent macrolide sources are fungi, dinoflagellates, and sponges. Marine macrolides have several bioactive characteristics such as antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, antiviral), anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, and neuroprotective activities. In brief, marine organisms are plentiful in naturally occurring macrolides, which can become the source of efficient and effective therapeutics for many diseases. This current review summarizes these exciting and promising novel marine macrolides in biological activities and possible therapeutic applications.

Fucoxanthin: A Promising Phytochemical on Diverse Pharmacological Targets

Fucoxanthin (FX) is a special carotenoid having an allenic bond in its structure. FX is extracted from a variety of algae and edible seaweeds. It has been proved to contain numerous health benefits and preventive effects against diseases like diabetes, obesity, liver cirrhosis, malignant cancer, etc. Thus, FX can be used as a potent source of both pharmacological and nutritional ingredient to prevent infectious diseases. In this review, we gathered the information regarding the current findings on antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin protective, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and other properties of FX including its bioavailability and stability characteristics. This review aims to assist further biochemical studies in order to develop further pharmaceutical assets and nutritional products in combination with FX and its various metabolites.

Lipid Profile, Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Activity, and Computational Molecular Docking of Diatom Fatty Acids as ACE Inhibitors

Diatoms, as single cell eukaryotic microalgae, are rich sources of lipids, which have either beneficial or detrimental effects on the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified diatom lipids with high levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs), especially polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) containing both omega-3 and omega-6. Nutritional values of FAs indicated possible applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food industries. Diatom FAs showed antioxidative potential on harmful radicals by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging, with high inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) that causes cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension. A computational molecular docking simulation confirmed the inhibition mechanisms of FAs on ACE, with comparable levels of binding free energy to chemically synthesized ACE drugs. Findings suggested that diatom lipids showed potential for use as alternative ACE inhibitors or food supplement for CVD prevention.

What Do We Know about Antimicrobial Activity of Astaxanthin and Fucoxanthin?

Astaxanthin (AST) and fucoxanthin (FUC) are natural xanthophylls, having multidirectional activity, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer. Both compounds also show antimicrobial activity, which is presented in this review article. There are few papers that have presented the antimicrobial activity of AST. Obtained antimicrobial concentrations of AST (200-4000 µg/mL) are much higher than recommended by the European Food Safety Authority for consumption (2 mg daily). Therefore, we suggest that AST is unlikely to be of use in the clinical treatment of infections. Our knowledge about the antimicrobial activity of FUC is better and this compound acts against many bacteria already in low concentrations 10-250 µg/mL. Toxicological studies on animals present the safety of FUC application in doses 200 mg/kg body weight and higher. Taking available research into consideration, a clinical application of FUC as the antimicrobial substance is real and can be successful. However, this aspect requires further investigation. In this review, we also present potential mechanisms of antibacterial activity of carotenoids, to which AST and FUC belong.

Medicinal Prospects of Antioxidants From Algal Sources in Cancer Therapy

Though cancer therapeutics can successfully eradicate cancerous cells, the effectiveness of these medications is mostly restricted to several deleterious side effects. Therefore, to alleviate these side effects, antioxidant supplementation is often warranted, reducing reactive species levels and mitigating persistent oxidative damage. Thus, it can impede the growth of cancer cells while protecting the normal cells simultaneously. Moreover, antioxidant supplementation alone or in combination with chemotherapeutics hinders further tumor development, prevents chemoresistance by improving the response to chemotherapy drugs, and enhances cancer patients' quality of life by alleviating side effects. Preclinical and clinical studies have been revealed the efficacy of using phytochemical and dietary antioxidants from different sources in treating chemo and radiation therapy-induced toxicities and enhancing treatment effectiveness. In this context, algae, both micro and macro, can be considered as alternative natural sources of antioxidants. Algae possess antioxidants from diverse groups, which can be exploited in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite having nutritional benefits, investigation and utilization of algal antioxidants are still in their infancy. This review article summarizes the prospective anticancer effect of twenty-three antioxidants from microalgae and their potential mechanism of action in cancer cells, as well as usage in cancer therapy. In addition, antioxidants from seaweeds, especially from edible species, are outlined, as well.

The colorful world of carotenoids: a profound insight on therapeutics and recent trends in nano delivery systems

The therapeutic effects of carotenoids as dietary supplements to control or even treat some specific diseases including diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular diseases, bacterial infections, as well as breast, prostate, and skin cancer are discussed in this review and also thoughts on future research for their widespread use are emphasized. From the stability standpoint, carotenoids have low bioavailability and bioaccessibility owing to their poor water solubility, deterioration in the presence of environmental stresses such as oxygen, light, and high heat as well as rapid degradation during digestion. Nanoencapsulation technologies as wall or encapsulation materials have been increasingly used for improving food product functionality. Nanoencapsulation is a versatile process employed for the protection, entrapment, and the delivery of food bioactive products including carotenoids from diverse environmental conditions for extended shelf lives and for providing controlled release. Therefore, we present here, recent (mostly during the last five years) nanoencapsulation methods of carotenoids with various nanocarriers. To us, this review can be considered as the first highlighting not only the potential therapeutic effects of carotenoids on various diseases but also their most effective nanodelivery systems.HighlightsBioactive compounds are of deep interest to improve food properties.Carotenoids (such as β-carotene and xanthophylls) play indispensable roles in maintaining human health and well-being.A substantial research effort has been carried out on developing beneficial nanodelivery systems for various carotenoids.Nanoencapsulation of carotenoids can enhance their functional properties.Stable nanoencapsulated carotenoids could be utilized in food products.

Fucoxanthin activities motivate its nano/micro-encapsulation for food or nutraceutical application: a review

Fucoxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid abundant in marine brown algae. The potential therapeutic effects of fucoxanthin on tumor intervention have been well documented, which have aroused great interests in utilizing fucoxanthin in functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, the utilization of fucoxanthin as a nutraceutical in food and nutrient supplements is currently limited due to its low water solubility, poor stability, and limited bioaccessibility. Nano/micro-encapsulation is a technology that can overcome these challenges. A systematic review on the recent progresses in nano/micro-delivery systems to encapsulate fucoxanthin in foods or nutraceuticals is warranted. This article starts with a brief introduction of fucoxanthin and the challenges of oral delivery of fucoxanthin. Nano/micro-encapsulation technology is then covered, including materials and strategies for constructing the delivery system. Finally, future prospective has been discussed on properly designed oral delivery systems of fucoxanthin for managing cancer. Natural edible materials such as whey protein, casein, zein, gelatin, and starch have been successfully utilized to fabricate lipid-based, gel-based, or emulsion-based delivery systems, molecular nanocomplexes, and biopolymer nanoparticles with the aid of advanced processing techniques, such as freeze-drying, high pressure homogenization, sonication, anti-solvent precipitation, coacervation, ion crosslinking, ionic gelation, emulsification, and enzymatic conjugation. These formulated nano/micro-capsules have proven to be effective in stabilizing and enhancing the bioaccessibility of fucoxanthin. This review will inspire a surge of multidisciplinary research in a broader community of foods and motivate material scientists and researchers to focus on nano/micro-encapsulated fucoxanthin in order to facilitate the commercialization of orally-deliverable tumor intervention products.

Potential utilization of bioproducts from microalgae for the quality enhancement of natural products

Microalgae are autotroph organisms that utilise light energy to synthesize various high-value bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, proteins and lipids. Due to its fast growth rate and capability to survive in harsh environment, microalgae nowadays are applied in various industrial areas. The process of obtaining microalgae-based biomolecules starts with the selection of suitable microalgae strain, cultivation, followed by downstream processing of the biomass (i.e., pre-treatment, harvesting, extraction and purification). The end products of the processes are biofuels and other valuable bioproducts. Nevertheless, low production yield and high-cost downstream processes are the emerging bottlenecks which need to be addressed in the upscaling of extracted compounds from microalgae biomass. To conclude, tremendous efforts are required to overcome these challenges to revolutionize microalgae into a novel and green factory of different bioactive compounds for industrial necessities to satisfy and fulfil global demands.

Green Compressed Fluid Technologies To Extract Antioxidants and Lipids from Galdieria phlegrea in a Biorefinery Approach

A green cascade approach was used to recover phycocyanins, carotenoids and lipids from Galdiera phlegrea. Phycocyanin extraction was performed by high pressure homogenization and purified by ultrafiltration, whereas carotenoids were obtained by a pressurized liquid extraction and lipids by supercritical fluid extraction. The second step of this innovative, green, and cost-effective procedure is able to improve the recovery of zeaxanthin and β-carotene up to 40%, without affecting the quality of compounds and avoiding the use of organic solvents and the drying processes. The isolated carotenoids were active as antioxidants, as clearly shown by their protective activity on a cell-based model. The lipid yield was increased by 12% with respect to conventional methods.