AUTHOR=Kühnhold Holger , Schreiner Monika , Kunzmann Andreas , Springer Karin 

TITLE=Light intensity changes and UVB radiation affect peridinin content and antioxidant activity in the Cassiopea andromeda holobiont

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1048346

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1048346

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The microalgae carrying up-side down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda represents a yet untapped marine species that could be targeted as a new food source. Harnessing the contained health-promoting ingredients, such as pigments and antioxidants, in controlled aquaculture environments with state-of-the-art LED lighting technology, might be a particularly promising pathway. In this study, the effects of light intensity and narrow-band UVB exposure on light-harvesting pigments and antioxidant activity (AOA) in C. andromeda were investigated. This analysis revealed the prevalence of peridinin and chlorophyll a pigments, suggesting the presence of health-promoting peridinin-chlorophyll a-proteins (PCP). Over two- and four-week treatment intervals, pigment synthesis and AOA could be significantly enhanced through the combination of a narrow-band UVB- (λ = 285 ± 10 nm) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Opposing that, PAR changes alone (50 to 800 µmol photons m-2 s-1) affected only the biosynthesis of pigments. For the first time, this study demonstrates the potential of novel UV-LED technology for supplying functional nutrients from an endosymbiotic jellyfish. In view of the increasing scarcity of resources and the upcoming challenges with regard to global food provisioning, the utilization of LED-optimized, health-promoting food ingredients from new marine resources such as C. andromeda might be a promising perspective.