Technological Advancements for the Enhancement of High-Value Nutraceutical Co-Products in Algae

To meet industrial and agricultural demands, algae are being recognized as renewable, sustainable, and cost-effective alternatives to their terrestrial counterparts. Their versatility extends to various applications such as biofuels, bioremediation, biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and the food industry, sparking significant interest globally. Notably, several algal species, including seaweeds, thraustochytrids, green microalgae, diatoms, and cyanobacteria, are being extensively investigated as feedstock for an array of value-added products, including omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, vitamins, and phycocyanin.
These products offer potential benefits for immune support, heart health, weight management, and detoxification, making algae a valuable addition to dietary supplements and functional foods.
However, despite their promise in the nutraceutical industry, the transition of algae from laboratory research to industrial-scale production faces significant hurdles. Key challenges include low biomass productivity, extensive freshwater usage, culture crashes, and costly downstream processing technologies, namely harvesting, dewatering, and target metabolite extraction.

Cutting-edge technologies offer promising avenues for overcoming these challenges and advancing the algal-based bioeconomy towards a zero net carbon and circular bioeconomy. For instance, bioprospecting for novel, superior-performing strains, exploring the beneficial interactions between bacteria and microalgae, implementing innovative cultivation strategies, deploying genetic engineering, utilizing adaptive evolution, and applying biorefinery approaches could enhance nutraceutical productivity in algae. Indeed, balancing the demand for algae-derived nutraceuticals with responsible harvesting practices and robust regulatory oversight is crucial to mitigate these issues and ensure the long-term viability of both the industry and the environment.

This Research Topic invites original research work and review/mini-review articles encompassing different aspects of algae-derived nutraceuticals, including:

Nutritional profiles of different algae (including seaweeds) for nutraceutical production.
Innovative cultivation methods to enhance productivity and sustainability.
Bioprospecting for novel algal strains with high nutraceutical value.
Biorefinery approaches for nutraceutical production.
Genetic modification and/or genetic engineering approaches to generate superior-performing algal strains.
Omics studies to understand bioproduct synthesis pathways.
Clinical studies to evaluate the efficacy of nutraceuticals derived from algae.
Life cycle and techno-economic analysis.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: bioremediation, nutraceuticals, microalgae, biorefinery, Renewable resources, Algal bioeconomy, genetic engineering, biomass

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.