Marine Bacteria versus Microalgae: Who Is the Best for Biotechnological Production of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Properties and Other Biological Applications?

Abstract

Natural bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity play remarkable roles in the prevention of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. ROS, which are formed by different pathways, have various pathological influences such as DNA damage, carcinogenesis, and cellular degeneration. Incremental demands have prompted the search for newer and alternative resources of natural bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. The marine environment encompasses almost three-quarters of our planet and is home to many eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms. Because of extreme physical and chemical conditions, the marine environment is a rich source of chemical and biological diversity, and marine microorganisms have high potential as a source of commercially interesting compounds with various pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical applications. Bacteria and microalgae are the most important producers of valuable molecules including antioxidant enzymes (such as superoxide dismutase and catalase) and antioxidant substances (such as carotenoids, exopolysaccharides, and bioactive peptides) with various valuable biological properties and applications. Here, we review the current knowledge of these bioactive compounds while highlighting their antioxidant properties, production yield, health-related benefits, and potential applications in various biological and industrial fields.

Xanthophylls from the Sea: Algae as Source of Bioactive Carotenoids

“…All variants of this molecule have been proved to have antioxidant properties. In fact, its antioxidant activity is greater than that of other frequently used antioxidant molecules such as ZEA and β-carotene [ 138 ]. For example, one study was able to demonstrate significant antioxidant activities against lipid peroxidation in the rat brain homogenate model and a neuroprotective effect of l -glutamate toxicity [ 134 ].…”

Recent Advances in Astaxanthin Micro/Nanoencapsulation to Improve Its Stability and Functionality as a Food Ingredient

“…Several health-related benefits have been described for astaxanthin, including anticancer activity, cardiovascular disease prevention, anti-diabetic activity, anti-ischemic effect, neuroprotective properties, anti-allergic activity, and the enhancement of the immune response, among others [ 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 ]. Although the mechanism by which astaxanthin seems to exert functional effects is still unknown, it is thought that some are related to its intense antioxidant capacity, greater than that of vitamin E, and other carotenoids, such as zeaxanthin, lutein or β-carotene [ 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 ].…”

Enigmatic Microalgae from Aeroterrestrial and Extreme Habitats in Cosmetics: The Potential of the Untapped Natural Sources

“…Therefore, currently all members of the MAAs family are recognized as potential fully safe and highly efficient health and beauty ingredients in sun care products as a promising alternative to the commercially available filters for skin protection from UVR [14,[102][103][104]. Moreover, MAAs represent an important intracellular nitrogen reservoir [14,98], which have shown strong abilities in wound healing [14,104], and specifically, mycosporine-glycine has great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging activities, which makes it an important candidate for use in cosmeceutical fields [25,105].…”