Functional Food Sector Research Articles

Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Three Brown Seaweed (Phaeophyta: Phaeophyceae) Collected from Tourism Area in Sanur Beach, Coast of Denpasar, Bali and Public Health Risk Assessment

Highlight Research Brown seaweed heavy metals content varies between species Risk assessment showed low health risk for heavy metal from intake of the three brown seaweed The three types of brown seaweed did not show carcinogenic properties to metal Arsenic (As) Abstract Marine brown seaweed are known as one of the potential biological agents to be developed as functional food and medicinal sectors. This study aims to examine the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, and As) in brown algae (Sargassum aquifolium, Padina australis, and Turbinaria ornata.) and the possible exposure to health risks caused by consumption. Heavy metal concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) on brown seaweed samples obtained from three different sites. The average concentration of heavy metals in the dry weight of brown seaweed remains within the guidelines established by The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Number 32 of 2019 concerning the Safety and Quality of Traditional Medicines, which is then used to calculate the estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ and TTHQ), and target cancer risk (TCR) for arsenic associated with food exposure to potentially toxic metallic elements. Each species of brown seaweed has a THQ and TTHQ level of <1, indicating that one or more toxic metal elements in the same meal provide no significant non-carcinogenic risk. The TCR for arsenic in these seaweeds are all less than 1 x 10-4, indicating no cancer risk. There are no chronic health hazards related with the ingestion of brown seaweed harvested from the coast of Sanur Beach at Denpasar, Bali.

Fruit and Vegetable Peel-Enriched Functional Foods: Potential Avenues and Health Perspectives.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are highly utilized commodities by health-conscious consumers and represent a prominent segment in the functional and nutritional food sector. However, food processing is causing significant loss of nutritional components, and the generation of waste is creating serious economic and environmental problems. Fruit and vegetables encompass husk, peels, pods, pomace, seeds, and stems, which are usually discarded, despite being known to contain potentially beneficial compounds, such as carotenoids, dietary fibers, enzymes, and polyphenols. The emerging interest in the food industry in the nutritional and biofunctional constituents of polyphenols has prompted the utilization of fruit and vegetable waste for developing enriched and functional foods, with applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the utilization of waste for developing diverse and crucial bioactive commodities is a fundamental step in sustainable development. Furthermore, it provides evidence regarding the applicability of fruit and vegetable waste in different food formulations especially bakery, jam, and meat based products.

Hydro-Distilled and Supercritical Fluid Extraction ofEucalyptus camaldulensisEssential Oil: Characterization of Bioactives Along With Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities.

Present research work evaluates variation in volatile chemicals profile and biological activities of essential oil (EO) obtained from the leaves of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.) using hydro-distillation (HD) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The yield (1.32%) of volatile oil by HD was higher than the yield (.52%) of the SFE method (P < .05). The results of physical factors like density, color, refractive index, and solubility of the EOs produced by both the methods showed insignificant variations. Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) compositional analysis showed that eucalyptol (31.10% and 30.43%) and α-pinene (11.02% and 10.35%) were the main constituents detected in SFE and HD extracted Eucalyptus camaldulensis EO, respectively. Antioxidant activity-related parameters, such as reducing ability and DPPH free radical scavenging capability exhibited by EO obtained via SFE were noted to be better than hydro-distilled EO. Supercritical fluid extracted and hydro-distilled essential oils demonstrated a considerable but variable antimicrobial potential against selected bacterial and fungal strains. Interestingly, oil extracted by SFE showed relatively higher hemolytic activity and biofilm inhibition potential. The variation in biological activities of tested EOs can be linked to the difference in the volatile bioactives composition due to different isolation techniques. In conclusion, the EO obtained from Eucalyptus leaves by the SFE method can be explored as a potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agent in the functional food and nutra-pharmaceutical sector.

PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN SABUN CUCI TANGAN PROBIOTIK FERMENTASI KOMBUCHA BUNGA TELANG KEPADA MAHASISWA FARMASI SMESTER 5 UNIVERSITAS MATHLA’UL ANWAR BANTEN SEBAGAI PENINGKATAN WAWASAN DALAM MATA KULIAH BIOTEKNOLOGI

Telang flower kombucha is a probiotic that has the potential to be developed as a functional drink and even an active cosmetic ingredient in the form of hand soap as an effort to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19 and its mutations. The purpose of this activity is to provide additional insight to students, especially in the pharmaceutical study program at the Faculty of Health Pharmacy, Mathla'ul Anwar University, Banten, in utilizing the fermented kombucha solution of telang flower as an active ingredient in environmentally friendly hand soap cosmetics. The results of the activity showed that the service participants had increased knowledge or insight about the importance of using conventional biotechnology products as a new breakthrough in the pharmaceutical field. This can be seen from the increase in the pre-test and post-test which have been conveyed a lot during material exposure during pharmaceutical biotechnology lectures and during training. Participants who have attended training on making probiotic handwashing soap from fermented kombucha flower telang solution are more enthusiastic and understand the importance of the benefits of fermenting kombucha flower telang not only in the functional food sector but also in the potential for environmentally friendly cosmetics.

Effects Induced by the Agricultural Application of Probiotics on Antioxidant Potential of Strawberries.

With the recent rapid development of the functional food sector, agriculture is looking for alternatives to improve the quality of food grown by limiting chemical fertilizers. This study evaluated the effects of two commercial plant probiotics, ProbioHumus and NaturGel, on the growth and quality of strawberry fruits. Strawberry plants were sprayed with microbial probiotics twice a year: after harvesting at the beginning of dormancy and at the stage of leaf development. Spray applications of ProbioHumus, NaturGel, and NaturGel + ProbioHumus in the organic farm fields significantly increased the fresh fruit weight up to 42%, 35%, and 37%, respectively, compared to the non-treated control. An increase in the weight of fresh strawberry fruits may be associated with an increase in dry matter accumulation. The probiotics had a positive effect on the total content of phenols, anthocyanins, and especially ascorbic acid in strawberry fruits. The increase in ascorbic acid in strawberry fruits was up to 97% compared to the non-treated control. The fruits from plants inoculated with probiotics showed significantly higher antioxidant activity. In summary, ProbioHumus and NaturGel are effective tools for improving the quality of strawberries and can be exploited in sustainable agriculture as a tool for adding value to functional food.

Edible Seaweeds: A Potential Novel Source of Bioactive Metabolites and Nutraceuticals With Human Health Benefits

There has been an increase in human health concerns, and seaweeds are considered as a potential functional food which can decrease the risk of many diseases, as they contain various bioactive compounds. Seaweeds are of nutritional interest and a rich source of natural bioactive compounds including antioxidants, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids that can be used as an alternative source of food material. Seaweeds contain a high amount of vitamins such as A, D, E, C, and B, and minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Seaweeds containing carrageenan, agar and other polysaccharides not only act as a source of fiber but also can act as prebiotics which may benefit the bacteria present in the large intestine. The lack of technologies to process seaweeds for human consumption at an industrial scale is a serious limitation on growth of the seaweed-based functional foods sector. Seaweeds are one of the most extensively used functional foods, with a long history in Asian countries. Now they are also being explored by many Western and European countries. Evidence from epidemiological research suggests that regular consumption of a marine algae-based diet may boost immunity against a number of diseases including COVID-19 novel virus by angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition.

Green Downstream Processing By Using Hydrothermal Extraction For Recovering Flavonoid, Phenolic And Antioxidant Activity From Moringa Oleifera Leaves

Well known as rich in phenolic compounds, Moringa oleifera mature leaf extract show significant antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo. It has been widely used at cosmetic, medicine, and functional food sector. Hydrothermal extraction, one of the green environmentally friendly method that fit to M. oleifera feedstock for recovering natural antioxidant namely flavonoid, phenolic, and antioxidant activity. Three parameters were used at this study such as sample-solvent ratio, running temperature and extraction time. Flavonoids were evaluated with 2.4 Dinitrophenyl hydrazine colorimetric, whereas phenolics were measured by tanat acid which react with Foulin ciocealteu reagent. Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH. The optimum result was obtained at 15 minutes with 140 0C for total flavonoid content (TFC) 18.98 mg/g whereas 170 0C for total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity 48.73 mg tanat acid/dried extract; 44.76 mg/L respectively

Proteolysis of whey protein isolates in nanoemulsion systems: Impact of nanoemulsification and additional synthetic emulsifiers

Nanoemulsions are currently of interest in the functional food sector because their small droplet size (100–500 nm) provides a number of potential advantages over conventional emulsions. This study concerned the behavior of nanoemulsions stabilized with whey proteins and two synthetic emulsifiers (Tween 80 and Croduret), and exposed to conditions simulating the human upper gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the effect of synthetic emulsifiers (food additives) on the interfacial composition and digestion rate of milk proteins at the interface of nanoemulsions was determined. The results indicate that the protein was partially co-absorbed with only one synthetic emulsifier (Croduret) at the interface, which made protein more resistant to digestion in the nanoemulsion system. This suggests that the degree of protein digestion can be controlled by appropriate selection of synthetic emulsifiers and presenting the protein in nanoemulsion system.

Lead and aluminium-induced oxidative stress and alteration in the activities of antioxidant enzymes in chicory plants

Heavy metal pollution is a severe global issue as it threatens the future food security by altering the growth and development of plants, thereby reducing the production yield. Therefore, our aim was to explore the plants that possess resistance to heavy metals and investigate their potential to neutralize the toxic effects of heavy metals without translocating into their edible parts. Chicory is one of the important plant with high nutritional profile and has immense potential in the functional food sector. In the present study, biochemical and physiological parameters were conducted to evaluate oxidative stress in chicory plants subjected to different levels of Al and Pb treatments (0, 100, 200 and 300μM). The root/shoot growth and biomass accumulation declined significantly with Al and Pb stress. Roots were found to contain more Al and Pb concentration compared to shoots as also revealed by translocation factor (TF) <1. Indicators of oxidative stress viz., malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and osmolytes increased significantly along with metal treatments. Besides, antioxidative defense enzyme system showed positive correlation upon each increment in Al and Pb stress. The present study concluded that chicory plants possess an efficient Al and Pb-detoxification mechanism as indicated by increased osmolyte concentration and strong antioxidant defense system thus could be an ideal candidate for cultivation in Pb and Al-contaminated soils.

Antioxidant Bioprospecting in Microalgae: Characterisation of the Potential of Two Marine Heterokonts from Irish Waters.

Microalgae constitute a heterogeneous and diverse range of organisms capable of accumulating bioactive metabolites, making them promising feedstock for applications in the nutraceutical, functional food, animal feed, biofertilisation or biofuel sectors. There has been renewed interest in recent times in natural sources of antioxidants, particularly as health products and preserving agents. Microalgae strains isolated from aquatic habitats in Ireland were successfully brought into culture. The 91 strains were grown phototrophically in nutrient-enriched media to generate biomass, which was harvested and assessed for antioxidant potential. Extracts were screened for antioxidant activity using a modified volumetric Trolox-ABTS assay and the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Two heterokont marine strains of interest were further studied to ascertain variations in antioxidant capacity across different stages of batch culture growth. The antioxidant activity of extracts of bacillariophyte cf. Stauroneis sp. LACW24 and ocrophyte cf. Phaeothamnion sp. LACW34 increased during growth with a maximum being observed during the late stationary or early death phase (2.5- to 8-fold increases between days 20 and 27). Strains LACW24 and LACW34 contained 5.9 and 3.0mgg-1 (DW) of the xanthophyll fucoxanthin, respectively. Extracts of strains also showed no cytotoxicity towards mouse cell lines. These results highlight the potential of these strains for biomass valorisation and cultivation upscaling and to be further considered as part of ongoing bioprospecting efforts towards identifying novel species to join the relatively narrow range of commercially exploited marine microalgae species.

Consumer awareness and willingness to purchase probiotic food and beverage products: a study of Sonipat district, Haryana

PurposeIn a developing country like India, consumers are shifting from high-energy diet to balanced nutritional diet, which enhances the metabolic, physiological, functional and health benefits of consumers. The growing self-care and health-embracing population made the probiotic sector as lucrative market for functional food manufacturers and suppliers. Therefore, an analysis is required to understand consumers’ knowledge and buying behavior regarding probiotic products for product innovation and development.Design/methodology/approachAwareness, knowledge and consumption patterns of probiotic products were investigated among randomly selected 306 consumers in the Sonipat city of Haryana, which comes in the proximity of national capital, i.e. Delhi, India. A structured questionnaire with exploratory characteristics was developed and face-to-face interviews were conducted as a part of data collection.FindingsThe inference is that there is immense potential for the probiotic fruit beverage market as a higher proportion of the population was interested in probiotic products delivered with fruits as a base matrix followed by dairy products. Further, government’s initiation and support are required not only for manufacturing such health-beneficial products having therapeutic value but also to spread awareness regarding the necessity of including such products in the meals of the growing children.Originality/valueThe study shows changing customer attitudes toward probiotic products and sheds light on consumers’ preference on the medium (food matrix) of probiotic delivery, thereby exploring market opportunities in the area of the functional food sector.

Soluble and Cross-Linked Aggregated Forms of α-Galactosidase from Vigna mungo Immobilized on Magnetic Nanocomposites: Improved Stability and Reusability.

α-Galactosidases hold immense potential due to their biotechnological applications in various industrial and functional food sectors. In the present study, soluble and covalently cross-linked aggregated forms of a low molecular weight, thermo-labile α-galactosidase from Vigna mungo (VM-αGal) seeds were immobilized onto chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles for improved stability and repeated usage by magnetic separation. Parameters like precipitants (type, amount, and ratio), glutaraldehyde concentration, and enzyme load were optimized for the preparation of chitosan-coated magnetic nanocomposites of cross-linked VM-αGal (VM-αGal-MC) and VM-αGal (VM-αGal-M) resulted in 100% immobilization efficiency. Size and morphology of VM-αGal-M were studied through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study the chemical composition of VM-αGal-MC and VM-αGal-M. VM-αGal-MC and VM-αGal-M were found more active in a broad range of pH (3-8) and displayed optimal temperatures up to 25 °C higher than VM-αGal. Addition of non-ionic detergents (except Tween-40) improved VM-αGal-MC activity by up to 44% but negatively affected VM-αGal-M activity. Both VM-αGal-MC (15% residual activity after 21 min at 85 °C, Ed 92.42 kcal/mol) and VM-αGal-M (69.0% residual activity after 10 min at 75 °C, Ed 39.87 kcal/mol) showed remarkable thermal stability and repeatedly hydrolyzed the substrate for 10 cycles.

Pseudocereals as super foods of 21st century: Recent technological interventions

Cereals have been known to play a pivotal role to meet the demand of the human population since time immemorial. Cereals like corn, wheat and rice constitute approximately about 80% food consumption and are biofortified to improve the vitamin and other essential micro-nutrients. On the other hand, pseudocereals are naturally enriched with these essential micronutrients, but have not been explored for large-scale production and consumption till date. In this context, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified many plants as under-utilized, which can significantly contribute for improving nutrition and health, enhance food basket and livelihoods, future food security and sustainable development. These underutilized crops offer an immense potential in the functional food sector to combat hidden hunger crisis and offer the options of income generation. Moreover, since underutilized crops are closely knit to cultural traditions and therefore are envisaged to have a role in supporting social diversity. To explore these neglected or lost crops, there is an increasing interest in research and development that needs heightened direction and focus. We need to develop a multidisciplinary approach that involves many stake holders to review and accelerate the domestication of these neglected crops. These reviews focus on nutritional profile of emerging pseudocereals and analyze the various constraints of their integration into the global food system. • Pseudocereals serve as super foods to enhance food basket. • Address and analyze the various constraints of pseudocereals. • Multi-interdisciplinary approach is needed to revive the cultivation of pseudocereals.

Concise review of green algal genus Ulva Linnaeus

The green algal genus Ulva is widely distributed around all continents. Plants with both distromatic or monostromatic thalli now form a single taxon based on ITS rDNA and rbcL gene sequencing. Ulva is known to occupy several ecological niches including freshwater and marine (intertidal and subtidal) habitats, attributed to its tolerance to key determinants such as light, temperature, and salinity. The genus is perceived as model system to study life cycle, morphogenesis and development from simple to complex multicellularity. The life cycle is isomorphic and biphasic type, knowledge of which is important in developing viable cultivation techniques. The culture of Ulva is by photo-bioreactor, land-based, and open-sea farming producing about 1500 t dry annum−1 biomass. The understanding of scientific basis for eutrophication-driven green tide events is of paramount importance for coastal ecosystem management. Studies related to cross-kingdom cross-talk between Ulva and surrounding microbes have been recently undertaken through high-throughput techniques to understand their role in growth, development, and morphogenesis. Several regional species are rich in vital nutrients and thus qualify in the functional food sector, and recent research is poised to develop a bio-refinery model for complete utilization of feedstock. Ulva spp. are also used as a feed source in aquaculture and for environmental bioremediation.

Innovative Hurdle Technologies for the Preservation of Functional Fruit Juices.

Functional nutrition, which includes the consumption of fruit juices, has become the field of interest for those seeking a healthy lifestyle. Functional nutrition is also of great interest to the food industry, with the aims of improving human health and providing economic prosperity in a sustainable manner. The functional food sector is the most profitable part of the food industry, with a fast-growing market resulting from new sociodemographic trends (e.g., longer life expectancy, higher standard of living, better health care), which often includes sustainable concepts of food production. Therefore, the demand for hurdle technology in the food industry is growing, along with the consumption of minimally processed foods, not only because this approach inactivates microorganisms in food, but because it can also prolong the shelf life of food products. To preserve food products such as fruit juices, the hurdle technology approach often uses non-thermal methods as alternatives to pasteurization, which can cause a decrease in the nutritional value and quality of the food. Non-thermal technologies are often combined with different hurdles, such as antimicrobial additives, thermal treatment, and ultraviolet or pulsed light, to achieve synergistic effects and overall quality improvements in (functional) juices. Hence, hurdle technology could be a promising approach for the preservation of fruit juices due to its efficiency and low impact on juice quality and characteristics, although all processing parameters still require optimization.

Microwave heating as a tool to enhance antioxidant activity and release soluble conjugates from Feutrell’s Early (citrus mandarin cultivar) peels

The phenolic constituents usually exist in free and covalently bound forms in the plant materials. This study reports the impact of microwave heating on certain phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential assessed by free radical-scavenging and reducing power of citrus peels. Different levels of microwave power (125, 250, 500 W) and heating times (5, 10, 15 min) were applied. The phenolic acids were fractionated into three forms namely; free, glycoside-bound, and ester-bound. Microwave power and heating time significantly increased the content of free phenolic fraction while the content of bound fractions decreased. Increasing microwave power significantly increased the antioxidant activity of heated samples. The microwave heating up to 10 min at 250 W increased the antioxidant activity of the samples but further heating to 15 min exerted an adverse effect. A moderate microwave power and heating time was helpful for improving the antioxidant potential of citrus peels. Practical applications A very simple method is used in this study to release the bound phenolics and to improve the antioxidant potential of citrus peels, thereby, maximizing the use of fruit byproducts in general and citrus peels in particular. By this way, it can be helpful to decrease the environmental pollution caused by citrus fruit waste products. The use of microwave heating might be helpful for the citrus processing industry to minimize the loss in terms of effluent management. It might be an economical processing technique for the pharmaceutical and functional food sector.

Lead toxicity alters the antioxidant defense machinery and modulate the biomarkers in Tartary buckwheat plants

Heavy metal toxicity is a serious global issue as it threatens the future food security by influencing the growth and development of the plant, thereby declining the production yield. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the crops that possess tolerance to heavy metals and investigate their potential as a novel hyperaccumulators, besides provide future food security. Buckwheat is one of potential crop with high nutritional profile compared to cereals and has quickly gained ground in the functional food sector. In the present study, Pb-induced stress in Tartary buckwheat using various physiological and biochemical attributes were investigated. The Pb accumulation was found to be time and dosage-dependent, besides roots were found to accumulate more Pb concentration (21.34 mg/g DM), that in turn declines root and shoot length; besides translocation factor value of <1, indicate sequestration of Pb in the root rhizosphere. Carotenoids and anthocyanin pigment were elevated under Pb-induced stress. The osmolytes (proline, sugar, protein and GSH) and antioxidant defense enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX, POD, GST and GR) enhanced in a time and concentration-dependent manner as also revealed by multivariate analysis. This study suggests that Tartary buckwheat possess an efficient Pb detoxification mechanism as evidenced by enhanced osmolyte production and strong antioxidant enzyme defense system thus could be a novel candidate for cultivation in Pb contaminated soils.

Spontaneously fermented curly kale juice: Microbiological quality, nutritional composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.

Nondairy fermented products, such as fruit and vegetable juices, are gaining popularity among consumers worldwide for health-related and economic reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in microbiological quality; antimicrobial and antioxidant activity; and phenolic, vitamin C, minerals, and cadmium content occurring during spontaneous fermentation of curly kale juice. The fermentation process contributed to a significant growth of lactic acid bacteria, enterococci, and yeasts, while no pathogens of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. were observed. The antimicrobial properties of the obtained juice improved during fermentation for all indicator microorganisms. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased from 48 to 116mg gallic acid equivalent/100mL and from 4.5 to 6.8mM Trolox/100mL, respectively, while the content of vitamin C decreased. The results indicated that 100mL of juice provided a significant contribution to the recommended mineral intake. Moreover, the content of heavy metal Cd was within acceptable limit (6µg/kg). Overall, our findings indicate that fermented curly kale juice may become popular in the functional food sector, especially among vegetarians and consumers with lactose intolerance or allergy to milk proteins. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: As the market for fermented fruit and vegetable products grows, new plant materials rich in biologically active compounds are being sought. Considering the high demand for sauerkraut, the fermentation of other cruciferous vegetables seems interesting. One example is curly kale, which has been classified as "superfood" due to its numerous beneficial health properties, such as strong antioxidant activity, high vitamins, and minerals content. In addition, a market niche exists due to a lack of fermented green curly kale products on the market, making our study particularly relevant.

Buckwheat Journey to Functional Food Sector

Background:: Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.), a dicot pseudocereal, has an immense potential in the functional food sector pertinently due to high nutritional profile. It is a rich source of phenolic compounds, phytosterols, fagopyrins, dietary fibre, lignans, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and unsaturated fatty acids. The buckwheat products include tea, honey, cakes, pancakes, cookies and soba noodles are gluten-free and are thus important for coeliac disease patients. Objective: The current review discusses the comparative metadata analysis of amino acids, bioactive constituents and livelihood framework of buckwheat. Conclusion: The biological value of buckwheat proteins is considerably high possessing the aminoacid score of 100 and the comparative metadata analysis revealed that it is richer in lysine, histidine and tryptophan than wheat, corn, barley and egg. Buckwheat seeds contain many fagopyritols amongst which fagopyritols A1 is an active constituent in insulin signaling and thus helps to treat diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome. The buckwheat crop is on decline which needs attention for its conservation, cultivation and improvement thus we present its livelihood framework for human welfare.

Fatty acid profiling of new Irish microalgal isolates producing the high-value metabolites EPA and DHA

Microalgae constitute a heterogeneous and diverse group of organisms capable of accumulating high-value products under specific conditions, making them promising organisms for biotechnological applications in the nutraceutical, functional food, animal feed, biofertilisation or biofuel sectors. Recent studies have shown that most regions of the world display low to very low levels of nutritional intakes of the long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, highlighting the requirement for economically and environmentally sustainable means of raising the nutritional quality of foods and feeds.Eighty-five microalgae strains isolated from aquatic habitats in Ireland were successfully brought into culture and phototrophically grown, which was assessed for fatty acid composition using GC/MS. Hierarchical clustering grouped the strains into five assemblages based on their fatty acid profiles. Three marine strains (diatom cf. Stauroneis sp. LACW24, ochrophyte cf. Phaeothamnion sp. LACW34 and haptophyte Diacronema sp. GMC30) which could synthesise EPA and/or DHA were further studied in 15L reactors to ascertain variation in their fatty acid profiles over a 65-day cultivation regime. The average yields of EPA were 3.9, 11.9 and 1.3mg EPA / g DW for GMC30, LACW24 and LACW34, respectively. The average yields of DHA were 3.0 and 2.0mg DHA / g DW for GMC30 and LACW34, respectively.The capacity of the strains to produce EPA and/or DHA, together with the fact that they have been previously shown to exhibit antioxidant activity and to contain appreciable levels of carotenoid pigments, make them potential candidates for the biorefining of high-value metabolites.