Microalgae-Derived Pigments: A 10-Year Bibliometric Review and Industry and Market Trend Analysis.

Samara C Silva,M Filomena Barreiro,Isabel C F R Ferreira,Madalena M Dias

doi:10.3390/molecules25153406

Samara C Silva, M Filomena Barreiro + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25153406

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Abstract

Microalgae productive chains are gaining importance as sustainable alternatives to obtain natural pigments. This work presents a review on the most promising pigments and microalgal sources by gathering trends from a 10-year bibliometric survey, a patents search, and an industrial and market analysis built from available market reports, projects and companies’ webpages. The performed analysis pointed out chlorophylls, phycocyanin, astaxanthin, and β-carotene as the most relevant pigments, and Chlorella vulgaris, Spirulina platensis, Haematococcus pluvialis, and Dunaliella salina, respectively, as the most studied sources. Haematococcus is referred in the highest number of patents, corroborating a high technological interest in this microalga. The biorefinery concept, investment in projects and companies related to microalgae cultivation and/or pigment extraction is increasingly growing, particularly, for phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis. These pieces of evidence are a step forward to consolidate the microalgal pigments market, which is expected to grow in the coming years, increasing the prospects of replacing synthetic pigments by natural counterparts.

Highlights

IntroductionMicroalgae are the primary components of several ecosystems found in marine and freshwater
Microalgae are the primary components of several ecosystems found in marine and freshwater.These organisms are catalogued in 72,500 species and 16 classes
The results showed an 80% increase in the number of publications dealing with microalgae and pigments from 2009 to 2019, which corroborates the increased interest in the field of microalgal pigments

Summary

Introduction

Microalgae are the primary components of several ecosystems found in marine and freshwater. These organisms are catalogued in 72,500 species and 16 classes. Cyanobacteria (Cyanophyceae), green algae, and diatoms are the most commonly explored for biotechnological purposes [1]. Microalgae are excellent sources of high-added value compounds with health benefits, presenting great potential in diverse markets. These include proteins, pigments, polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and polysaccharides. The global interest to explore microalgae-based products has been increasing due to their high-value biological compounds and abundant availability in the aquatic systems [2,3]. The leading producers of microalgae biomass are in Taiwan, the United States, Japan, China, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Myanmar, and Germany, comprising an annual production of dry biomass of 19,000 tons, and generating a revenue of about USD 5.7 billion [4]

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