Algal Fermentation^|^mdash;The Seed for a New Fermentation Industry of Foods and Related Products

Abstract

There have been many kinds of fermentation technology and products since ancient times. For example, fermented food items from soybean are common in the East Asian countries of China, Korea and Japan, while those from fish are common in Southeast Asian countries 5 . Despite the long history of fermentation technology, fermented food items produced from algae have yet to be developed (Fig. 1). Many studies were conducted on methane fermentation of seaweeds during the 1970s and 1980s 1, 2, 6 . However, methane fermentation is a technology for supplying energy, not for foods and food production.Macroalgae (macrophytes) can be divided into four groups: brown algae (Phaeophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta), green algae (Chlorophyta), and seagrass (Magnoliophyta). Carbohydrates are the major component of seaweeds and seagrass (ca. 50-70% on a dry basis) 11,29 , containing mostly polysaccharides to construct algal tissue. For example, brown algae contain alginate and fucoidan as major components. Red algae contain galactan (e.g. agar, carrageenan) as a major component. Green algae and seagrasses contain cellulose and hemicellulose as major components. These major algal polysaccharides are known to be unfavorable substrates for fermentation. This may be one of the reasons why algal fermentation technology has yet to be developed. However, it was recently reported that seaweed could be used as a substrate for lactic acid and ethanol fermentation, provided that the algal tissue was saccharified with cellulase enzymes. This finding opened the possibility of obtaining foods and related items from algal fermentation 17,18,19 . This manuscript reviews past studies on the lactic acid fermentation of algae 17,22 . It also refers to other kinds of algal fermentation that are now being developed, such AbstractMany kinds of fermented products are now being consumed as food and dietary items, although those produced from algae have yet to be developed. A recent observation that seaweed could be used as a substrate for lactic acid fermentation opened the possibility of obtaining such products as foods, diets and fertilizers by algal fermentation. This manuscript reviews past studies on the lactic acid fermentation of algae. Both macroalgae (seaweeds) and microalgae can be used as the materials for lactic acid fermentation, as successful fermentation has been observed regarding all the seaweed species tested to date. Saccharification by cellulase treatment is considered a significant element for inducing algal fermentation. The addition of a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria and salt also promotes successful fermentation. A wide range of Lactobacillus species can be used for inducing algal fermentation, with Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum in particular showing a superior ability to dominate in seaweed fermentation cultures. A starter culture of halophilic lactic acid bacteria that is now being developed will make it possible to prepare algal fermented products containing a high (>10%) salt con...

Lactic acid fermentation of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) biomass for probiotic-based products

“…The greater yield of lactic acid with rice bran may be explained by the quick release of sugars following enzyme addition, but also by the higher carbohydrate content and different carbohydrate profile of rice bran (11.3% cellulose + hemicellulose and 46.7% starch + dextrin), probably more suitable to sustain Lactobacillus lactic acid fermentation, compared to A. platensis F&M-C256 biomass (13.4% total carbohydrates). Uchida and Miyoshi (2013) reported a lactic acid production in the range of 1.5-5.4 g L −1…”

“…In comparison to the numerous studies on algae fermentation Nguyen et al 2012;Talukder et al 2012;Uchida and Miyoshi 2013), those on cyanobacteria are limited and focus particularly on Arthrospira spp. Bhowmik et al (2009) added spirulina biomass to cultures of different Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strains and performed 10h fermentations, observing an increase in the bacterial number with increasing biomass concentrations.…”

“…Some algae represent a suitable substrate for the production of fermented foods due to their availability and high nutritional value Uchida and Miyoshi 2013). Many and diverse fermented products (powders, beverages, delicacies) from seaweeds, microalgae (mainly Chlorella and Dunaliella) and spirulina (different Arthrospira species), usually mixed with plant-derived substrates and obtained through different fermentative processes (by lactic acid bacteria or yeasts or a mixture of these microorganisms), are available in the market and easily found on e-commerce platforms.…”

Exploitation of Microalgae Species for Nutraceutical Purposes: Cultivation Aspects

“…[76]. It was found that the biomass pre-treatment with enzyme cellulase enhances lactic acid fermentation [75]. Allmicroalgae Natural Products S.A., a Portuguese microalgae cultivation company started producing Chlorella vulgaris and other microalgae via fermentation, which complements the company's existing photobioreactor technology.…”

“…However, predominantly both indoor and outdoor cultivations in commercial practice are photoautotrophic except a few including Crypthecodinium cohnii. Although the fermentation technology has a long history, microalgae-based fermented food items have yet to be developed [75]. However, lactic acid fermentation was demonstrated in several microalgae such as, Chrolella sp., Tetraselmis sp., Diacronema lutheri, Chaetoceros sp., Nannochloropsis sp.…”