Microalgae-based bioactive materials for healthcare applications

Hui-Ling Shen1, Han-Xiao Zhuang1, Jinyue Sun1

  • 1College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Agri-food Resources and High-value Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China. xianyu19@zju.edu.cn.

Nanoscale
|July 20, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Microalgae offer unique bioactive properties for health applications. This review explores their design, effectiveness, and future potential in healthcare, highlighting their versatility as advanced materials.

Related Concept Videos

Biofuels01:25

Biofuels

The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...
Green Algae01:21

Green Algae

Green algae, also referred to as chlorophytes, are different from red algae in having the chloroplasts containing chlorophylls a and b, which give them their distinct green hue. However, they lack phycobiliproteins, preventing them from developing the red or blue-green pigmentation seen in red algae. In terms of photosynthetic pigment composition, green algae closely resemble plants and share a close evolutionary relationship with them. Taxonomically Green algae belong to Phylum Chlorophyta in...
Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...