Variability in Macro- and Micronutrients of 15 Commercially Available Microalgae Powders.

Fabian Sandgruber,Christine Dawczynski,Gabriele I Stangl,Tanja Schwerdtle,Annekathrin Gielsdorf,Anja C Baur,Benjamin Schenz,Carola Griehl,Stefan Lorkowski,Sandra Marie Müller

doi:10.3390/md19060310

Abstract

The nutrient composition of 15 commercially available microalgae powders of Arthrospira platensis, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and vulgaris, Dunaliella salina, Haematococcus pluvialis, Tetraselmis chuii, and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was analyzed. The Dunaliella salina powders were characterized by a high content of carbohydrates, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), omega-6-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n6-PUFAs), heavy metals, and α-tocopherol, whereas the protein amounts, essential amino acids (EAAs), omega-3-PUFAs (n3-PUFAs), vitamins, and minerals were low. In the powder of Haematococcus pluvialis, ten times higher amounts of carotenoids compared to all other analyzed powders were determined, yet it was low in vitamins D and E, protein, and EAAs, and the n6/n3-PUFAs ratio was comparably high. Vitamin B12, quantified as cobalamin, was below 0.02 mg/100 g dry weight (d.w.) in all studied powders. Based on our analysis, microalgae such as Aphanizomenon and Chlorella may contribute to an adequate intake of critical nutrients such as protein with a high content of EAAs, dietary fibers, n3-PUFAs, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn, as well as vitamin D and E. Yet, the nutritional value of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was slightly decreased by high contents of SFAs. The present data show that microalgae are rich in valuable nutrients, but the macro- and micronutrient profiles differ strongly between and within species.

Highlights

The analysis of amino acid profiles of the microalgae species under consideration revealed that the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine (Cys) was present in concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.001%, and was the rarest in all analyzed samples (Table 1)
Dunaliella salina and Tetraselmis chuii powders were deficient in concentrations of all analyzed amino acids with values close to or below the LOQ of 0.001%
This study investigated the macro- and micronutrient profiles of fifteen commercially available microalgae powders with seven different species from various companies to evaluate their contribution to nutrient supply for human consumption

Summary

Introduction

The food industry has discovered microalgae as a valuable microorganism for their purposes. Microalgae such as Chlorella species exhibit a high protein content, and almost all essential amino acids (EAAs), serving as a potential source of valuable, high-quality protein. Data on the complete nutrient profile of these ten EU-authorized microalgae species are not available at present. The present study aims to evaluate the nutrient profile of fifteen commercially available microalgae powders and compares the determined data with the nutrient table highlighted in the label information. The total fiber content, the amount of protein and fat, selected minerals, trace elements, heavy metals, vitamins, amino acids profiles, and fatty acids composition of these commercially available microalgae powders were evaluated. An individual nitrogen factor (N-factor) for each sample based on the determined amino acid profiles was calculated to ensure the correct quantification of the crude and pure protein

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion