Editorial: Microalgae as sustainable food resources: prospects, novel species, bioactive compounds, cultivation process and food processing
(2025) Frontiers in Nutrition — Vol. 11, n° 1, p. 1-2 (2025)
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- Abstract
- Microalgae and cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms found in diverse habitats. These microorganisms are receiving increasing attention as future sustainable foods (1). Some microalgae have proven to be excellent sources of nutrients including proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, vitamins, and minerals. Other microalgae produce medicinally useful bioactive compounds and other chemicals (e.g., antioxidants, pigments, and biopolymers) of interest in food processing. Compared to conventional land-based agriculture, microalgae can be grown using non-arable land and lower-quality water (saline and brackish waters), but they do require some of the same nutrients as used in conventional agriculture, for example the nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers. Nutrientrich wastewater may be used to grow microalgae, but algal biomass produced in this way could not be used directly for food, although it could be used as animal feed if it was free of toxic pollutants and pathogens. Like plants, microalgae require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but they are impractical for carbon sequestration (2), notwithstanding the contrary claims often found in literature.
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Citations
Li, J., Chisti, Y., Meng, C., Abd-El-Aziz, A., & Agathos, S. N. (2025). Editorial: Microalgae as sustainable food resources: prospects, novel species, bioactive compounds, cultivation process and food processing. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11(1), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1543087 (Original work published 2025)