Nutraceutical applications of twenty-five species of rapid-growing green-microalgae as indicated by their antibacterial, antioxidant and mineral content

• Published in: Algal research (Amsterdam) 2020-05, Vol.47, p.101878, Article 101878
• Main Authors: Santhakumaran, Prasanthkumar, Ayyappan, Sunil Meppath, Ray, Joseph George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algal-biomass; Antibacterial; Antioxidant; Functional food; Microalgae
• ISSN: 2211-9264; 2211-9264
• DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2020.101878

Algal-blooming of eutrophic waters is an opportunity to find out rapid-growing algal species, which may be valuable as multipurpose, industrially-producible bioresource. An extensive investigation carried out in algal-bloomed freshwaters of biodiversity-rich Kerala, India enabled the identification of twenty-five industrially-valuable, rapid-growing species of indigenous green algae. The lipid and protein content of these algae are known, but nutraceutical potentials of the same remained unknown. Therefore, the primary objectives of the present investigation were to assess the antioxidant, antibacterial and mineral content of the biomass of this twenty-five, hitherto-uninvestigated, green-microalgae identified from Kerala. Standard methods of biomass-tests revealed species-specific antioxidant and antibacterial activities of its biomass-extracts. The activities were specific to five different extraction solvents used in the study. The antimicrobial activities of the methanolic extract of Myrmecia bisecta, chloroform extract of Pseudotetradesmus quaternaries, Scenedesmus bijuga and water extract of Bracteacoccus minor against diverse pathogenic bacterial species were found statistically significant. Some algae were found quite high in Fe, Co and Zn. Overall, the study revealed that these twenty-five indigenous rapid-growing species of green algae from Kerala have the potentials of industrial production as an alternative functional food, nutraceutical and antibacterial resources. However, further standardizations are required for industrial utilization of the same. [Display omitted] •Discovery of the nutraceutical potentials of 25 species of green microalgae•The antioxidant, antimicrobial activities and mineral composition exposed•Hexane extract of Tetrastrum komarekki showed high antioxidant potential.•Methanol extract of Myrmecia bisecta showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.•The algae B. minor and C. humicola showed high amounts of Fe, Zn and Co respectively.