MARINE INGREDIENTS
Marine algae goes skin deep
Amikam Bar-Gil – Yemoja, Israel
Technology and science is merging to bring new innovation to marine microalgae. Cosmeceutical and nutraceutical markets have been profiting from biomaterials coming from the enormous amounts of microalgae that are known to exist. Today Yemoja Ltd. has come into the picture bringing cutting-edge technology paired with the deep-science of marine biology. Among the 500,000 species of known microalgae, some of the 15,000 new biomolecules were isolated and are ready to be exploited for the benefit of human usage. Algae growers around the world are
experimenting on various to ways to cultivate microalgae. Commonly, open systems such as race-way ponds are used to harness some of the power of the sun. This however does not come without its own hurdles such as low yields with high-risk of contamination and dependency on environmental conditions. These limitations have recently spurred the use of photo-bioreactor centered systems that are more closed and controlled. The cultivating systems for micro- algae has seen its fair share of mini-revolutions, with some trying poly-ethylene sacs, horizontal glass-tubing, and more.
The story of marine algae: Journey from feed to a superfood Historically, the cultivation of microalgae began as a source for food and feed. Commercial large-scale culture of microalgae commenced in the early 1960s in Japan with the culture of Chlorella followed in the early 1970s with the establishment of a Spirulina harvesting and culturing facility in Lake Texcoco, Mexico. In 1977, Dai Nippon Ink and Chemicals Inc. established a commercial Spirulina plant in Thailand, and by 1980 there were 46 large-scale factories in Asia producing more than 1000 kg of microalgae (mainly Chlorella) per month and in 1996 about 2000t of Chlorella were traded in Japan alone.1
The possibility of producing
biodiesel from microalgae was also one of the main interests of the industry; using microalgae to clean waste water and reduce nutrient load, reducing greenhouse gasses by sequestering carbon dioxide, using the oily fraction for biodiesel and the rest of the biomass for bioethanol. However, by the end of 2008, the price for crude oil went down, making the idea of harvesting algae for biodiesel much less economical. Numerous companies today are increasingly unearthing the benefits of algae for human
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consumption and topical use and focusing efforts on producing natural bioactive ingredients that can be embedded in a broad spectrum of applications. These include nutraceuticals (Astaxanthin, Fucoxanthin), protein supplements and substitutes (Spirulina and Chlorella), and the use of sulphated polysaccharide, Dunaliella salina extract in cosmetics. Algae sourced 9-cis beta carotene is also in early stages of research for its potential medical usage.
EPS slated to shape up cosmetics Porphyridium cruentum, a Rhodophyta microalga, has been investigated for the last decade and has become of a special interest for various biotechnological applications due to their abilities to produce potential biomolecules that can be used in various industry disciplines (e.g., food, cosmetics, and biomedicines). One of the main products, which has been
extensively studied, is the soluble Exo– polysaccharide sulphated (EPS) fraction. This in-house polysaccharide production is released to the surrounding aqueous medium, where it accumulates during growth and increases the medium’s viscosity.2,3,4
Its structure is not fully
understood, though it is known to be comprised mainly of three monosugars: Xylose, Glucose and Galactose; additionally, it is negatively charged due to D-Glucuronic acid and ester- sulfate groups.5,6,7,8 Antioxidative activity is one of the prime
properties needed for both the nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. Porphyridium’s polysaccharide is also a strong antioxidant.10 High light intensities combined with high temperatures can induce the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). EPS is one of the protective mechanisms to scavenge these. This ability, along with its highly anti-inflammatory activity, made the EPS a
April 2021 PERSONAL CARE
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