Large-scale microalgae cultivation utilizing aquaculture wastewater gave biomass production of 43.5 mg L⁻¹ day⁻¹. In addition, in the water when cultivating microalgae in it the coliform index and total microbial number decreased to 5 and 1.8 × 10³ colony-forming unit cm⁻³. vulgaris BB-2 was selected due to its increased growth rate in aquaculture wastewater with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and phosphate removal. Screening was carried out among strains of Chlorella vulgaris BB-2, Parachlorella kessleri Bh-2 and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii C-124 with the aim of selecting the strain which is characterized by high indicators of growth in the fish farms wastewaters. Finally, the potential of the European algae market growth was indicated by the analysis of the trends in research, technological advances, and market initiatives to promote algae commercialization and consumption.įollowing the circular bioeconomy approach, this study shows the possibility of effective microalgal bioremediation of aquaculture wastewater integrated with the production of protein-rich biomass, which can be used as a feed additive.
The regular consumption of more than 150 algae species was identified, of which only 20% are approved under the EU Novel Food legislation, which demonstrates that the current legislation is not broad enough and requires an urgent update.
The current algae species that are consumed and commercialized in Europe were investigated, according to their status under the European Union (EU) Novel Food legislation, along with the market perspectives in terms of the current research and development initiatives, while evaluating the interest and potential in the European market. This review covers the historical consumption of algae in Europe, developments in the current European market, challenges when introducing new species to the market, bottlenecks in production technology, consumer acceptance, and legislation. Algae are sustainable sources of proteins, minerals, and fiber, with well-balanced essential amino acids, pigments, and fatty acids, among other relevant metabolites for human nutrition. Applications of algae in human nutrition, animal feed, and aquaculture are examined.Īlgae have been consumed for millennia in several parts of the world as food, food supplements, and additives, due to their unique organoleptic properties and nutritional and health benefits. Moreover, existing protein enrichment methods used in the dairy industry and the potential of these methods to generate high value ingredients from algae, such as bioactive peptides and functional ingredients are discussed. Protein extraction methods applied to algae to date, including enzymatic hydrolysis, physical processes, and chemical extraction and novel methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, pulsed electric field, and microwave-assisted extraction are discussed.
This review details the characteristics of commonly consumed algae, as well as their potential for use as a protein source based on their protein quality, amino acid composition, and digestibility. Algae do not compete with traditional food crops for space and resources. Macroalgae (seaweed) and microalgae are examples of under-exploited “crops”. Population growth combined with increasingly limited resources of arable land and fresh water has resulted in a need for alternative protein sources.