Algae: Biochemicals

1. Biochemicals of algae

2. Biorefineries produce bioenergy and high-value-added substances from various biomass materials,
including crops (first-generation biomass), lignocellulose biomass (second-generation biomass), and
microalgal biomass (third-generation biomass).
Most characterized microalgae use sunlight, water, and atmospheric CO2 for growth. CO2 absorbed
by microalgae from the atmosphere is converted into primary metabolites such as lipids,
carbohydrates, and proteins during photosynthesis.
In general, microalgae composed of large amounts of lipids (7%–23%), proteins (6%–71%), and
carbohydrates (5%–64%).
The diverse metabolites produced by microalgae range from simple primary metabolites to complex
secondary metabolites.
Microalgae have numerous bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, antioxidants, fatty acids,
enzymes, polymers, peptides, toxins, sterols, and vitamins.
Algae research started in 1970s, focusing on four main areas: bioactive metabolites, toxins, chemical
ecology and biodiesel/bioethanol. To date, more than 15,000 novel compounds derived from algae

4. To survive in a competitive environment, both freshwater and marine microalgae have developed
defence strategies that promote chemical diversity toward secondary metabolites as a consequence
of harboring different metabolic pathways.
For example, Haematococcus sp. is the richest natural source of the ketocarotenoid astaxanthin.
These algae produce and accumulate astaxanthin as a strategy to counteract intracellular free
radicals spontaneously generated in response to adverse conditions.
Red-pigmented astaxanthin is a precursor of
vitamin A that has better antioxidant properties
than β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, lycopene,
canthaxanthin, and vitamin E.
Apart from astaxanthin, various carotenoids
such as lutein, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin,
and violaxanthin are found in microalgae.

5. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant used for many purposes, including Alzheimer disease,
athletic performance, aging skin, muscle soreness from exercise, and many others.
It is 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C, 800 times stronger than CoQ10
(Coenzyme Q10), 550 times stronger than Green Tea Catechins and 75
times stronger than α-lipoic acid.
Apart from its exceptional anti-oxidant capacity, Astaxanthin has also been
proven to have a positive effect on collagen production but also sun
protection.
Micro and macro algae seem to be “mini-factories” of sugars, protein, and a wide range of
bio-compounds with pharmaceutical, biomedical, and nutraceutical importance. Macro
algae have hydrolysable carbohydrate and potential ethanol yield than e.g. current
bioethanol feed stocks - Chlorella vulgaris, Cladophoropsis javanica, Spirullina sp.
The list some of the interesting components of secondary metabolites and their possible
usage in e.g. the pharmaceutical industry.

6. Components
of
secondary
metabolites
of
marine
algae
and
their
possible
application

7. Anti-Diabetic properties: Marine algae have potential anti-diabetic drugs of
bromophenols. Bromophenols exhibit hyperglycemic effects by showing inhibition
activity against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) when tested on rats.
Antibacterial properties: Bromophenols studied on several Gram positive and Gram
negative strains. Hexane, ethyl ether and dichloromethane fractions of brown alga
Cystoseira tamariscifolia showed interesting antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity
by studying the antibacterial activity.
Methanolic extracts of Rhodophyceae (Corallina officinalis), Phaeophyceae
(Cystoseira barbata, Drosera dichotoma, Halopteris filicina, Cladostephus spongiosus)
and Chlorophyceae (Utricularia rigida) were studied against Staphylococcus aureus,
Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis
and E. coli .
Antiviral and Anti-HIV properties: Sulfated polysaccharides and polysulfates
showed antiviral activity. Phaeophyta (brown algae), Rhodophyta (red algae), and
Chlorophyta (green algae) were found to produce sulfated polysaccharides that are
active against pathogens. Microalgae and cyanobacteria extracts also showed anti-HIV
activity.
The antiviral extractives from brown algae (Fucusvesiculosus sp.) and found that the
watersoluble extracts demonstrate an anti-HIV activity

8. Anti-Allergic properties: The anti-allergy chemicals found to inhibit
hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells. Brown algae (i.e. Eisenia arborea,
Ecklonia cava, Ishige foliacea, Ishige okamurae, Sargassum micracanthum,
Sargassum ringgoldianum, and Sargassum thunbergii) were found to exhibit
significant potentials in allergy suppressing.
Anti-Cancer properties: Algae are rich in carotenoids, carotenoids, such as β-
carotene, have extensively studied and implicated as cancer preventive agents.
Treating cancer cells with fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol increased the proportion
of apoptotic cells in all HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines, but not in HeLa.
The derivative of 14-keto-stypodiol diacetate (SDA) was extracted from the algae
Stypopodium flabelliforme, which showed some anti-inflammatory effects.
The pharmaceutical applications of several meroditerpenoids, stypolactone and
atomaric acid are potent against human lung and colon carcinoma cells.
Sargassum muticum, Ficus vesiculosus fight against breast cancer.
Cardiovascular effects: Microalgae contain polar lipids, which were identified to
be anti-inflammantary and antithrombotic. Monogalactosyl diacylglycerols,
digalactosyl diacylglycerols and phosphatidylglycerol are examples of polar lipids.
The most studied lipids in algae are polyunsaturated fatty acids which showed
different beneficial effects, such as heart health. Stypopodium flabelliforme,

9. Feedstock
potentials
of
algal
metabolites
and
its
biotechnological
applications
Algae are a
potential
feedstock for
its versatile
secondary
metabolites
synthesised at
a later stage of
growth.
Both fresh
water and
marine algae
accumulate
large
secondary
metabolites

10. Value-added
metabolites
from
microalgae
Valorization is a process that converts waste materials into valuable products, such as chemicals, materials, and fuels.

11. Secondary metabolite extraction from green algae

12. Polysaccharides
extraction
from
different
types
of
algae

13. Sample quantities, extraction solvents and yields for L-L Hexane extraction.

14. Analysis techniques used for algae
and microalgae extracts
Terpenes, GC-MS, HPLC-
UV-MS or NMR were found
to be applied, nevertheless
NMR is preferred for
structure analysis.
Antioxidant and anti-cancer
carotenoids analysis, such as
β-carotene, HPLC-UV/Vis.

15. CONCLUSION:
Algae are photosynthetic diverse organisms, which can survive under harsh conditions and accordingly produce
various high-value metabolites.
Based on the great potential of chemicals production from algae, researchers conducted studies to characterize
different algae strains and to study chemical extraction feasibility.
The key steps involved in enhancing the efficacy of biomass valorisation are
(a) understanding of the algal strains by biochemical and synthetic methods to its true potentials and novelties,
(b) simplified pre-treatments, integrated extraction and downstream processing
(c) one step conversion technologies for maximum valorisation.
Different and tradition extraction and analysis methods are time consuming. Therefore advanced methods is
essential in this research, in order to characterize, identify and quantify natural components in studied species.
Different analysis technologies were discussed, such as HPLC, GC, TLC, MS, NMR, some methods used two
or more combined techniques for identification, such as
HPLC-MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry),
GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) and
HPLC DAD (High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection).

16. THANK YOU