Commercial products and environmental benefits of algal diversity

Abstract

The major products from algae that are used and produced commercially today include whole macroalgae/seaweed as raw or processed food, extracted microalgae for high-value pigments, and whole microalgal species as health supplements, all food-grade material intended for human consumption. Microalgal commercial pigment products mostly include β-carotene and astaxanthin utilized as food additives/colorants. Spirulina is cultivated and produced on a large scale, often marketed and sold as a health-promoting ingredient. Animal feed, especially aquaculture feed from microalgal biomass, is another major product produced from Arthrospira and Chlorella species. There is a multitude of other bioproducts produced from extracted and residual microalgal biomass, such as biofuels, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, animal (livestock) feed, plastics, and fertilizers; however, commercialization of these products is still facing many cost and energy-related challenges and are currently still a work-in-progress. Environmental benefits of algae are mainly its capability to sequester excess CO2 emissions from the atmosphere due to its photosynthetic nature and also play a pivotal role in bioremediation applications.