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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to EPA and DHA in microalgae: Health benefits, biosynthesis, and metabolic engineering advances
ClearExpanded utilisation of microalgae in global aquafeeds
This review explores how microalgae can be used more widely in aquaculture feeds as a sustainable replacement for fish meal and fish oil. Microalgae provide essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and antioxidant pigments that support fish health and growth. While not directly about microplastics, expanding microalgae-based aquaculture feeds could reduce reliance on wild-caught fish from potentially microplastic-contaminated oceans.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)—Should They Be Mandatory Supplements in Pregnancy?
This review covers the role of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA during pregnancy and breastfeeding, finding they support fetal brain and eye development and may reduce the risk of preterm birth. While not directly about microplastics, it is relevant because seafood, the main source of these essential fats, is increasingly contaminated with microplastics. This creates a dilemma where the health benefits of eating fish must be weighed against potential microplastic exposure.
Biological and Nutritional Applications of Microalgae
This review covers the nutritional and health benefits of microalgae, which are tiny photosynthetic organisms rich in proteins, vitamins, and beneficial compounds. While not directly about microplastics, microalgae are relevant to the pollution discussion because they interact with microplastics in water environments and are being explored as sustainable alternatives to plastic-based products.
Optimal omegas – barriers and novel methods to narrow omega-3 gaps. A narrative review
This review examines why most people worldwide do not consume enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for heart and brain health. Researchers identified barriers including limited access to oily fish, concerns about environmental contaminants like microplastics in seafood, and sustainability issues with fishing. The study highlights emerging alternatives such as algae-based supplements and bioengineered plant oils as promising ways to close the global omega-3 gap.
Nanoplastics reshape lipid metabolism in marine microalgae with potential ecological consequence
Researchers exposed a marine microalga important to ocean ecosystems to nanoplastics and found significant disruptions to its lipid metabolism, reducing both biomass and lipid production. The nanoplastics altered the types of fats the algae produced, potentially affecting the nutritional value of these organisms for the marine food web. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could have cascading ecological consequences by disrupting carbon cycling at the base of the food chain.
Polystyrene microplastics decrease accumulation of essential fatty acids in common freshwater algae
Scientists exposed the freshwater alga Chlorella sorokiniana to polystyrene microplastics and found significant reductions in essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid content, suggesting microplastic contamination could reduce the nutritional quality of algae at the base of aquatic food webs.
Microalgae-based bioremediation of refractory pollutants: an approach towards environmental sustainability
This review examines how microalgae can be used to clean up hard-to-remove pollutants, including microplastics, from contaminated environments. The authors highlight that microalgae-based bioremediation is a sustainable, eco-friendly approach that could help address the growing problem of microplastic pollution in waterways.
Recent Advances in Micro-/Nanoplastic (MNPs) Removal by Microalgae and Possible Integrated Routes of Energy Recovery
This review examined the interactions between micro- and nanoplastics and microalgae, covering how microalgae are affected by plastic particles and how they can in turn be used to remove plastics from aquatic environments. The authors identify microalgae-based systems as promising tools for combined plastic removal and biomass production.
Harnessing microalgae for sustainable aquaculture and mariculture: Marine pollution mitigation and circular economy strategies
Researchers reviewed how microalgae can serve as a multipurpose bioremediation tool in aquaculture and mariculture, removing excess nutrients, capturing carbon, and reducing microplastic pollution, while also providing biomass for feed and supporting circular economy approaches that align with UN sustainability goals.
Determination of Microplastics in Omega-3 Oil Supplements
Researchers investigated the presence of microplastics in omega-3 oil supplements sold in the Korean market. They found microplastic contamination across various omega-3 products, with differences related to the source of raw materials and manufacturing processes. The study raises concerns about unintentional microplastic exposure through functional foods that people consume specifically for health benefits.
Microplastics in fishmeal: A threatening issue for sustainable aquaculture and human health
Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter aquaculture systems through contaminated fishmeal — made from wild-caught fish that have ingested ocean plastics — and accumulate in farmed fish that are then eaten by humans. The review calls for improved microplastic screening during fish feed production to protect both aquaculture sustainability and public health.
Microplastics – An emerging contaminants for algae. Critical review and perspectives
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics affect algae, which are the foundation of aquatic food chains. Microplastics can reduce algae growth, disrupt photosynthesis, and cause oxidative stress, with smaller nanoplastics being more harmful. Since algae are at the base of the food web, damage to them can ripple through ecosystems and ultimately affect the seafood that humans consume.
Comparative assessment of MP effects on pigment composition and lipid profiles in three marine microalgae
Researchers exposed three marine microalgae species to polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics and found that the particles altered pigment composition and lipid profiles in species-specific ways. Microplastic exposure generally reduced photosynthetic pigments and shifted fatty acid profiles, with effects varying depending on the polymer type and concentration ratio. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could disrupt the biochemistry of ecologically and commercially important microalgae at the base of marine food webs.
Bioplastic Production from Microalgae and their Applications- A Critical Review
This review critically examines bioplastic production from microalgae, evaluating algal strains, cultivation conditions, and extraction methods, while noting that multiple health risks associated with conventional microplastics have increased the urgency of developing algae-based alternatives.
Distribution of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Impacts on Aquatic Organisms, with Emphasis on Microalgae
This review covers the distribution of microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems and their impacts on aquatic organisms from bacteria to fish, with a focus on effects on microalgae as primary producers. The authors highlight that nanoplastics may be more biologically active than microplastics due to their size and surface reactivity, warranting greater research attention.
Identification of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Synthesis Pathways in the Toxic Dinophyte Alexandrium minutum Using 13C-Labelling
Researchers used carbon-13 isotope labeling to trace fatty acid synthesis pathways in the toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. This is a marine biochemistry study not directly related to microplastics or human health.
Adaptive and Biochemical Responses of Dictyosphaerium sp. AM‐2024a to Environmental Conditions and Microplastic Interactions: Synergy of Biofuel Production With Pollution Mitigation
Researchers characterized a newly isolated microalgal strain (Dictyosphaerium sp. AM-2024a) and found it tolerates microplastic exposure while producing lipids suitable for biofuel, suggesting dual potential for pollution mitigation and sustainable bioenergy production.
Ecotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic algae: Facts, challenges, and future opportunities
This review provides a comprehensive assessment of how micro- and nanoplastics harm aquatic algae, which form the base of ocean and freshwater food chains. The toxic effects include reduced growth, oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis, with nanoplastics generally causing more damage than larger particles. Since algae support the entire aquatic food web, their decline from plastic pollution could reduce the quality and safety of fish and shellfish consumed by people.
Microalgae as a Source of Biopolymer - A Comprehensive Review
This review examines microalgae as a source of biopolymers for sustainable plastic alternatives, evaluating the potential of algae-derived materials to address the environmental and health harms caused by conventional plastic waste and microplastic pollution through biodegradable substitutes.
Microalgae–microplastics interactions at environmentally relevant concentrations: Implications toward ecology, bioeconomy, and UN SDGs
This study investigated how microalgae interact with microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations, examining growth inhibition, aggregation, and photosynthetic effects, with implications for aquatic ecosystem function and the feasibility of microalgae-based bioremediation.
Harnessing microalgae for microplastic removal and biofuel production
This book chapter reviews how microalgae can simultaneously address microplastic removal from aquatic environments and serve as feedstock for biofuel production, presenting the dual-benefit approach as a promising strategy for sustainable environmental remediation.
The effect of microplastics pollution in microalgal biomass production: A biochemical study
Scientists exposed the marine microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum to polystyrene microplastics and found that both short- and long-term exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations disrupted biochemical composition including proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.
Research advances on impacts micro/nanoplastics and their carried pollutants on algae in aquatic ecosystems: A review
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics harm algae, which are the foundation of aquatic food chains, by slowing growth, reducing photosynthesis, and damaging cells. The effects are worse when microplastics carry other pollutants on their surfaces, creating a combined toxic effect. Since algae support the entire aquatic food web, damage to these organisms can ripple upward through fish and shellfish to affect the safety of seafood consumed by humans.
Potential for Using Algae to Reduce Microplastics in the Environment
This review examined the potential of algae to reduce microplastic pollution both by adsorbing and intercepting plastic particles in water and by serving as a feedstock for biosynthesizing biodegradable bioplastics as alternatives to petroleum-based materials.