Microalgae as functional food ingredients: nutritional benefits, challenges, and regulatory considerations for safe consumption
Open accessAbstract
The projected global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, necessitating a significant increase in food production. Malnutrition remains a global health challenge that contributes to over 3.5 million deaths annually and accounts for 45% of all child mortalities. Microalgae, including cyanobacteria, are a promising solution because of their rich composition of bioactive compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These biomolecules provide various health benefits, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties, making microalgal biomass a valuable ingredient in functional food formulations. However, the large-scale adoption of microalgae for food production faces several challenges, including species-specific variations in biochemical composition, inconsistencies in biomass yield, structural alterations during extraction and purification, sensory issues, and bioprocessing inefficiencies. Furthermore, regulatory challenges and concerns regarding bioavailability and safety continue to limit their widespread acceptance. Despite these limitations, microalgal bioactives have significant potential for the development of next-generation nutraceuticals and functional foods. This review examines the bioactive compounds found in microalgae, detailing their biological activities and functional applications in the food industry. Additionally, it explores the key challenges preventing their integration into food products and proposes strategies to overcome these challenges, ultimately facilitating the commercialization of microalgae as a sustainable and health-promoting food source.
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These microalgae species have established a strong presence in global markets, particularly in Asia, Europe, and North America, where their consumption has a long-standing tradition.
“Building on this inherent value, these species have established a strong presence in global markets, particularly in Asia, Europe, and North America, where their consumption has a long-standing tradition (Martínez-Ruiz et al., 2025).”
From Microalgae biotechnology and its role in sustainable and healthy food design (2025) · cites this paper as Martínez-Ruiz et al., 2025
Section 4.3, “Sustainability and Market Potential of Microalgae” (page not provided), describes a substantial global market and significant production in Asia. But Section 4.1, “Consumer Acceptance of Microalgae-Based Foods” (page not provided), says algal-based foods are well established particularly in East Asia, while microalgae remain relatively uncommon in many Western countries and European consumers have not widely embraced them. The claimed long-standing consumption tradition across Europe and North America is therefore not supported. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSpirulina and Chlorella offer up to 70% protein by dry weight and a complete amino acid profile, alongside richness in essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds.
“species like Spirulina and Chlorella offering up to 70% protein by dry weight and a complete amino acid profile, alongside their richness in essential fatty acids (notably omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs); a wide spectrum of vitamins (A, B complex, C, E, and K); minerals (e.g., iron, magnesium, and zinc); and antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids and phycobiliproteins [56,90,121,122,123].”
From Microalgae Bioactives for Functional Food Innovation and Health Promotion (2025) · cites this paper as [90]
Section 2.1 and Table 1 describe microalgae as sources of protein and essential amino acids and list amino acids for Arthrospira (Spirulina) and Chlorella. Sections 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, and 2.9 support the claims about fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidant pigments. The cited paper does not substantiate the specific figure of up to 70% protein by dry weight for these species; Table 1 gives no protein percentage for Arthrospira platensis or Chlorella vulgaris. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredUsing whole microalgal biomass minimises the need for extensive processing and purification, resulting in lower production costs and reduced environmental impact.
“using the whole biomass minimises the need for extensive processing and purification steps, resulting in lower production costs and reduced environmental impact.”
From Microalgae Bioactives for Functional Food Innovation and Health Promotion (2025) · cites this paper as [90]
Section 3.2 (page unavailable) says that food products use both whole microalgal biomass and extracted biocomponents. Section 4.3 distinguishes unrefined biomass from purified derivatives, but does not say that using whole biomass reduces processing or purification, production costs, or environmental impact. (LLM, conf=0.79)
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References 153 · Cited by 51
Research works printed but not linked: 5
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- Authors
- Martínez-Ruiz, F., Andrade-Bustamante, G., Holguín-Peña, R., Renganathan, P., Gaysina, L., Sukhanova, N., & Puente, E.
- Affiliations
- Universidad de Sonora (MX)
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C. (MX)
- M. Akmullah Bashkir State Pedagogical University (RU)
- Russian Research Institute for Phytopathology (RU)
- Corresponding author
- Renganathan, Prabhaharan
- Puente, Edgar
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biomass
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-04-25
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 25
- ISSN
- 2673-8783 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4409801355
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 153
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 19
- FWCI
- 39.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Biomass (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Industry and Aquatic Biology
- Keywords
- microalgae, functional food ingredients, cyanobacteria, bioactive compounds, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, microalgal proteins, nutraceuticals, food safety regulation, bioavailability, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, malnutrition
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