Microalgal nutraceuticals: unravelling solution to food-health nexus

Abstract

Since the industrial revolution, the consumption of processed foods has skyrocketed incredibly. Many of the inherent characteristics of food are lost during that process. Thus, an alternative source of natural carotenoids must be identified to get over these challenges and meet the demand. In light of food and health security concerns, microalgal carotenoids have been proposed as a prospective source of natural and safe components that may contribute to a good quality of life as dietary additives and supplements. Owing to its broad usage, nutraceuticals have gained great demand on the global market. They have been positioned as a novelty food or ingredient because of their high content of bioactive and functional carotenoids. There is a wealth of information on the possible health benefits of carotenoids. They have diverse biological role that leads to therapeutic benefits like neuroprotective, anticancer, immunomodulators, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-diabetic properties. Also, microalgae-based carotenoid production has recently gained attention because of scalable potential of cultivation in varying conditions with high yield in less time. This review highlights the synthesis of nutraceutical biomolecules from microalgae, their physiological significance, large-scale synthesis of microalgal biomass, up- and downstream processing, commercial uses, and the therapeutic properties of the nutraceuticals derived from microalgae.