Abstract
A shift in public perception of the health and nutritional benefits of organic supplements and skin care products has led to a surge in high-value products being extracted from microalgae. Traditional forms of microalgae products were proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. However, in recent times the extraction of carotenoids (pigments), polyunsaturated acids (PUFAs), vitamins, phytosterols and polyphenols has increased significantly. Despite the diversity of products most research has failed to scale up production to industrial scale due to economic constraints and productivity capacities. It is clear that the main market drivers are the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. This paper reviews the high-value products produced from freshwater eukaryotic microalgae. In addition, the paper also considers the biochemical properties of eukaryotic microalgae to provide a comparative analysis of different strains based on their high-value product content.
Highlights
- Microalgae can produce natural alternative products for the cosmetic industry.
- High-value compounds have huge potential in anticancer treatment.
- Cell factories offer sustainable large-scale cultivation of microalgae.
- Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry are the main market drivers.
- Eukaryotic cells have a greater potential for high-value compound production.
List of Authors
Callum Russell, Cristina Rodriguez, Mohammed Yaseen.