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Marine-Microalgae as a Potential Reservoir of High Value Nutraceuticals

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Marine Niche: Applications in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Abstract

Among the innovative entries in the nutrition supplements area, a vital place must be allocated to nutraceuticals encompassing marine microalgae, currently accounting for a great and promptly growing market. The current market values of these marine microalgal-derived bioactive compounds are extremely high. The major products commercially explored include carotenoids, β-carotene, astaxanthin, polyunsaturated fatty acids, polysaccharides, vitamins, sterols, and biologically active molecules. These biomolecules and metabolites possess antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities. The bioactive compounds have wide array of activities such as inhibition, transcription, activation of key enzymes and transportation, which can revamp several metabolic pathways. This chapter describes the available marine microalgal-derived nutraceuticals and recent research accomplished toward the characterization of bioactive metabolites and use of marine microalgae-based products for various therapeutic potentials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India

    Jeyakumar Balakrishnan, Thiyagarajan Sekar & Kathiresan Shanmugam

  2. Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamilnadu, India

    Jeyakumar Balakrishnan, Thiyagarajan Sekar & Kathiresan Shanmugam

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  1. Jeyakumar Balakrishnan
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  2. Thiyagarajan Sekar
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  3. Kathiresan Shanmugam
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science & Technology, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Neelam M Nathani

  2. Department of Science & Technology, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Chandrashekar Mootapally

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

    Indra R. Gadhvi

  4. Department of Botany, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

    Bharat Maitreya

  5. Department of Science & Technology, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Chaitanya G. Joshi

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Balakrishnan, J., Sekar, T., Shanmugam, K. (2020). Marine-Microalgae as a Potential Reservoir of High Value Nutraceuticals. In: Nathani, N.M., Mootapally, C., Gadhvi, I.R., Maitreya, B., Joshi, C.G. (eds) Marine Niche: Applications in Pharmaceutical Sciences . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5017-1_12

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