A State of the Art Review on the Cultivation of Algae for Energy and Other Valuable Products: Application, Challenges, and Opportunities
Abstract
Algae have long been investigated as a plausible reserve of several biofuel and bioactive compounds attributed to their fast-growing characteristics, shorter doubling time, and capability of accumulating lipids. Compounds extracted from algae are being studied in various sectors namely, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, cancer biology, nanoscience, food industry, etc. In view of the rich potentials of algae, this present review is aimed to highlight the significance of different cultivation aspects of microalgae like open pond and photobioreactor and advantages and disadvantages thereof. This state-of-the-art review provides the limitations of energy (biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, biomethane) products obtained from the algae in a perspective of shifting lab-scale into a field scale. In addition to the cultivation systems and biofuels, several non-energy products or value-added products obtained from algae were critically compared and presented. Data from plethora literatures discussing the advanced methods for the extraction of omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins and nanoparticles from algae have been discussed extensively. Further, bioactive compounds extracted from several algal strains were listed. Considering the health benefits, anti-angiogenic, and anti–cancer properties of algal bioactive compounds were described along with other industrial applications. Overall, this comprehensive review will help in understanding status of algal biofuel, cultivation systems, metabo…
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Algae include both prokaryotic species such as cyanobacteria and eukaryotic species such as green algae, diatoms, and golden algae.
“As a polyphyletic group, algae include both prokaryotic species, such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and eukaryotic species like green algae (Chlorophyceae), diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), and golden algae (Chrysophyceae) [16].”
From Algal-Based Carbonaceous Materials for Environmental Remediation: Advances in Wastewater Treatment, Carbon Sequestration, and Biofuel Applications (2025) · cites this paper as [16]
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References 210 · Cited by 208
- Authors
- Kumar, B. R., Mathimani, T., Sudhakar, M. P., Rajendran, K., Nizami, A.-S., Brindhadevi, K., & Pugazhendhi, A.
- Affiliations
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IN)
- National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli (IN)
- National Institute of Ocean Technology (IN)
- SRM University, Andhra Pradesh (IN)
- Government College University, Lahore (PK)
- Duy Tan University (VN)
- Ton Duc Thang University (VN)
- Corresponding author
- Brindhadevi, Kathirvel
- ORCID
- Venue
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 138
- Pages
- 110649
- ISSN
- 1364-0321 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3116631761
- Cited by
- 208
- References
- 210
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 19
- FWCI
- 5.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Department of Science and Technology- Govt. of India (DST/INSPIRE/04/2017/001922, IFA17-LSPA87)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Keywords
- microalgae cultivation, algal biofuels, biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, biomethane, open pond cultivation, photobioreactors, value-added products, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins, anti-angiogenic compounds, anticancer properties
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