Bioactivity and Biofunctionality Characterization of Algal Biomass

Algae are considered a valuable and varied source of natural compounds and ingredients which presence is highly demanded in the market by consumers. Algae have attracted the attention of industrial sectors for their cost-effective and sustainable production. They are photosynthetic organisms capable of sequestering huge amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. In addition, algae present a rich chemical composition in terms of macro- and micronutrients but also in minerals and secondary metabolites. Among the macronutrients they stand out for their content in polysaccharides and proteins, two ingredients with a wide range of organoleptic but also biological properties with applications in food industry. Regarding micronutrients, algae are a relevant source of vitamins and minerals of key importance in nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Finally, algae are also a reliable source of secondary metabolites, of which phenolic compounds represent vast family of compounds associated to several bioactivities, namely antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic/anti-obesity, hypotensive or neuroprotective. Algae are highly valuable resource associated to a sustainable productivity. Apart from being used as healthy food ingredients they also represent an innovative, natural and environmentally friendly matrix to obtain a wide variety of molecules with industrial and innovative applications, especially when applied for the development of functional products.