Abstract
Increasing evidence shows that eukaryotic microalgae and, in particular, the green microalga Chlorella, can be used as natural sources to obtain a whole variety of compounds, such as omega (ω)-3 and ω-6 polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs). Although either beneficial or toxic effects of Chlorella sorokiniana have been mainly attributed to its specific ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs content, the underlying molecular pathways remain to be elucidated yet. Here, we investigate the effects of an acute oral administration of a lipid extract of Chlorella sorokiniana, containing mainly ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs, on cognitive, emotional and social behaviour in rats, analysing possible underlying neurochemical alterations. Our results showed improved short-term memory in Chlorella sorokiniana-treated rats compared to controls, without any differences in exploratory performance, locomotor activity, anxiety profile and depressive-like behaviour. On the other hand, while the social behaviour of Chlorella sorokiniana-treated animals was significantly decreased, no effects on aggressivity were observed. Neurochemical investigations showed region-specific effects, consisting in an elevation of noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) content in hippocampus, but not in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. In conclusion, our results point towards a beneficial effect of Chlorella sorokiniana extract on short-term memory, but also highlight the need of caution in the use of this natural supplement due to its possible masked toxic effects.
Highlights
Increasing evidence shows that algae, and in particular eukaryotic microalgae, can be used as natural sources to obtain a number of food and non-food products [1,2]
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an acute oral administration of a lipid extract, containing mainly ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs), obtained from monoxenic strain of Chlorella sorokiniana on the cognitive, emotional and social behaviour in rats and to identify the possible underlying neurochemical alterations
The bioactivity of the total lipids (TL) fraction was characterized in terms of chemical composition of its two main components: unsaturated fatty acids (UFs, Table 1) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs, Table 2)
Summary
Increasing evidence shows that algae, and in particular eukaryotic microalgae, can be used as natural sources to obtain a number of food and non-food products [1,2]. Because of the high cost of microalgae production technology, academia and industry are looking for new applications of algae extracts/products that could contribute to increase the economic value of biomass with a “biorefinery” approach [3]. Considering the tremendous market value of the functional food industry, valued in 168 billion dollars just in the US in 2010 [4], it is easy to understand the enormous interest in the identification of new compounds, extracts and products that, once their efficacy has been proved with scientific evidence, can be produced at a larger scale. The PUFA composition in many species of the green microalga Chlorella, belonging to the phylum
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
