What's Next for Microalgae Oil? A Scientific Mapping for Saturated Fatty Acids

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Food Science
• Sustainable Resources

Background:

• Microalgae are increasingly recognized as sustainable lipid sources for the food industry.
• Growing consumer demand and environmental awareness drive interest in alternative food ingredients.
• Microalgal lipids offer potential for novel food applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric review of microalgal lipid applications in the food industry.
• To identify research trends and future directions between 2019 and 2024.
• To assess the current state of microalgal lipid research for food applications.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 255 research articles from the Scopus database (2019-2024).
• Focus on laboratory-scale research optimizing lipid production in chlorophytes (green algae).
• Standard lipid extraction (Bligh and Dyer, Folch), gravimetric quantification, and GC-MS characterization.

Main Results:

• A decreasing trend in publication numbers within the analyzed period was observed.
• Optimization of lipid production focused on physicochemical parameters like nutrients, temperature, light, and pH.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically omega-3 and omega-6, were the most studied lipids.

Conclusions:

• Microalgae represent a significant biotechnological platform for food industry lipid production.
• Further research is needed to scale up production and explore diverse food applications.
• The focus on PUFAs highlights their importance in nutritional food product development.