Chapter 25 - Microalgae as enzymes biofactories

Abstract

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms naturally present in aquatic environments such as rivers and soils. These photoautotrophic organisms do not require complex nutritional media, presenting advantages compared to other microbial cells. Currently, due to the rich composition of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, several products are produced from microalgae that mainly supply the cosmetics industries, and human and animal nutrition. Recently, researchers have investigated the potential of obtaining biofuels from microalgae in a biorefinery concept, to take advantage of all the microalgae compounds to obtain bioproducts of high added value. In this context, the production of enzymes may be cited, such as amylases, proteases, lipases, galactosidases, phytases, laccases, peroxidases, l-asparaginases, superoxide dismutase, and carbonic anhydrase. Because they are an unexplored source, microalgae present a large field to be unraveled. This biorefinery strategy offers promising possibilities to overcome limitations and to achieve the cost-effective production of industrial enzymes from microalgal cells in the future.