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Evaluation of Chlorella vulgaris potential as nutraceutical and sustainable foodsupplement

Chlorella vulgaris is a green unicellular that has been subjected to extensive studies within the last decade and has experienced imense applications in food and cosmetic industries [1]. C. vulgaris biomass represents a valuable and sustainable source of numerous bioactive compounds that can positively affect human health, such as proteins, vitamins, polysaccharides, microelements and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) [2]. Proteins and PUFAs recently gained a special interest of the nutraceutical sector due to their ability to accelerate wound healing, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but also improve bone health and neurological function [3]. For those reasons, particular focus is placed on the microalgal potential to enhance the nutritional value of conventional foods. Drying harvested microalgae while at the same time preserving all beneficial activities has shown to be a challenging step for the industry. To deepen the knowledge gap, C. vulgaris biomass was dried at different temperatures (lyophilized, 25, 40, 60 and 100), followed by determination of protein, carbohydrate and lipid contents. The highest protein value was observed for C. vulgaris dried at 25°C (58.5377±0.0007% (µg/µg), followed by samples dried at 40°C and 100°C. According to the findings, lower-temperature dried samples had higher levels of chlorophyll a and b, as well as their derivatives pheophytin a and b. The biomass dried at 40°C had the highest amount of carotenoids. The lipid profile determined by gas chromatography analysis showed a predominance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in specific essential omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) fatty acids. The highest total lipid content of C. vulgaris was around 5% for samples dried at 60 and 100°C. The results obtained confirmed C. vulgaris as a microalga with a great potential source of proteins, pigments and essential fatty acids, but also emphasized the importance of optimization of drying techniques.

microalgae ; proteins ; pigments ; fatty acids

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