Value-Added Products from Microalgae - Biotechnological Applications of Microalgae - page 146

both sides of the tube. For the production of phycobiliproteins, this is done under
constant irradiation with a fluorescent lamp with an illuminance of 800 to 8,000 lux
at 24°C for 480 h (Sekar and Chandramohan, 2008).
The utilization of urea-type or amino-type water-soluble nitrogen compounds,
together with other required nutrients, has also been patented as a cultivation method
to increase phycocyanin yields (Sekar and Chandramohan, 2008).
10.2.2.3 Future Potential
The broad application profile in the food industry and the increasing interest in
fluorescent products showcase the diverse and promising potential of phycobilip-
roteins in number of applications. Table 10.5 exhibits several other novel proper-
ties of phycobiliproteins that have the potential for commercialization, but have
only been accounted for in patents. Other biomedical properties included are anti-
inflammatory, antioxidant, liver protection, anti-tumor, lipase activity inhibitor,
and serum reducing agent; all of which have been reported in patents and applied
research but have not yet been commercially explored (Sekar and Chandramohan,
2008).
Despite extensive research spanning 150 years, and the thousands of microalgal
species that are known to exist, only a few hundred have been screened for chemi-
cal compositions and only a handful have been exploited on an industrial scale
(Spolaore et al., 2006; Sekar and Chandramohan, 2008). To make phycobiliproteins
more market competitive and economically feasible, basic screening is imperative
in order to source the organisms that are responsible for significant production of
phycobiliproteins—but may not necessarily be the fastest-growing strains (Sekar
and Chandramohan, 2008). Genetic modification of microalgae holds great promise,
along with pursuing other methods of cultivation (heterotrophic and mixotrophic).
With the ever-increasing range of potential products and applications pending
commercialization, it is imperative to pursue these avenues of research to advance
microalgal biotechnology.
10.2.3 l lipids,
Microalgae are responsible for the production of a range of lipids, with contents
varying from 1% to 70% of dry weight, and reaching up to 90% (Metting, 1996,
Spolaore et al., 2006). However, the most significant contribution to the overall
microalgal market by algae is their ability to synthesize PUFAs (polyunsatu-
rated fatty acids). Potential applications of various microalgal PUFAs are given
in Table 10.6.
The omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) are of particular interest as they cannot be efficiently synthesized
by humans, and instead must be consumed in their diet (Simopoulos, 1999).
Over the years and even today, omega-3 EPA and DHA are regarded as common
constituents of fish oil. Table 10.6 presents microalgal producers of interesting
PUFAs, and presently DHA is the only algal PUFA that is commercially available
(Spolaore et al., 2006).