164 Marine Macro- and Microalgae: An Overview
Minerals
Minerals are chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, which are present in nearly all the organic molecules. They are needed in
small amounts and may be classified, regarding its nutrition requirement rate, as major or trace minerals.
Some dieticians recommend that these should be supplied from foods in which they naturally occur, as
complex compounds, or from natural inorganic sources, as their bioavailability is higher under these
ionic forms. Minerals provide material for bone and teeth growth, regulate chemical processes, improve
muscular activities, release energy for body heat, and have a role in protein synthesis, oxygen transport,
and many other processes.
Macro-minerals, also called major minerals, are required in gram quantities; the following are
essential to animals: calcium and phosphorus (major constituents of the skeleton), sodium, magnesium
(participates in muscle contractions), potassium (plays an important role in heart functioning and helps to
promote neuromuscular development), sulphur, and chlorine.
Micro-minerals, also called trace minerals, are required in milligram or microgram amounts. They
often serve as components of enzyme cofactors or hormones, and examples are cobalt, iodine (activates
the synthesis of thyroid hormones), zinc (essential for skin healing and renewal; acts in synergy with
linoleic acid to enhance brightness of the fur), copper (participates in the synthesis of melanin that give
colour to the coat), manganese, and selenium (protects the integrity of cell membranes) (Anonymous
2006).
Antioxidants
As cellular metabolism requires oxygen, potentially damaging (e.g., mutation causing) compounds,
known as free radicals, can be formed. Most of these are oxidizers and must be sufficiently neutralized
by antioxidant compounds in order to maintain normal cellular processes. Human body produces some
antioxidants with adequate precursors, such as vitamin D, which is synthesized from cholesterol by
sunlight, or beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A by the body; those that body cannot produce
may only be obtained in the diet via direct sources.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals and especially their subgroup of polyphenols represent a growing area of interest. These
nutrients are typically found in edible plants, especially colour fruits and vegetables, but also in other
organisms including seafood, algae, and fungi.
Both antioxidants and phytochemicals are supposed to influence (or protect) body systems, although
their mechanism of action and necessities are not as well established as in the case of other nutrients.
Although phytochemicals may act as antioxidants, not all the phytochemicals are antioxidants.
Probiotics
A probiotic can be a live (viable) culture of microbial species, a dead (non-viable) product of microbial
fermentation, or an extract of plant origin. It improves growth and development of the desirable microbial
population in an animal’s gut, facilitating their domination over undesirable organisms. Probiotics are not
essential in feed diets, although their inclusion has proven beneficial effects.
Microalgae chemical composition
Microalgae spontaneously respond to physico-chemical variations in the surrounding environment,
concomitantly modifying their chemical composition in order to adapt to those new environmental
conditions. Therefore, depending on growth conditions (including nutrient supplies, temperature,
and sunlight, among others), microalgae, even from the same strain, can exhibit large variations in
Minerals
Minerals are chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, which are present in nearly all the organic molecules. They are needed in
small amounts and may be classified, regarding its nutrition requirement rate, as major or trace minerals.
Some dieticians recommend that these should be supplied from foods in which they naturally occur, as
complex compounds, or from natural inorganic sources, as their bioavailability is higher under these
ionic forms. Minerals provide material for bone and teeth growth, regulate chemical processes, improve
muscular activities, release energy for body heat, and have a role in protein synthesis, oxygen transport,
and many other processes.
Macro-minerals, also called major minerals, are required in gram quantities; the following are
essential to animals: calcium and phosphorus (major constituents of the skeleton), sodium, magnesium
(participates in muscle contractions), potassium (plays an important role in heart functioning and helps to
promote neuromuscular development), sulphur, and chlorine.
Micro-minerals, also called trace minerals, are required in milligram or microgram amounts. They
often serve as components of enzyme cofactors or hormones, and examples are cobalt, iodine (activates
the synthesis of thyroid hormones), zinc (essential for skin healing and renewal; acts in synergy with
linoleic acid to enhance brightness of the fur), copper (participates in the synthesis of melanin that give
colour to the coat), manganese, and selenium (protects the integrity of cell membranes) (Anonymous
2006).
Antioxidants
As cellular metabolism requires oxygen, potentially damaging (e.g., mutation causing) compounds,
known as free radicals, can be formed. Most of these are oxidizers and must be sufficiently neutralized
by antioxidant compounds in order to maintain normal cellular processes. Human body produces some
antioxidants with adequate precursors, such as vitamin D, which is synthesized from cholesterol by
sunlight, or beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A by the body; those that body cannot produce
may only be obtained in the diet via direct sources.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals and especially their subgroup of polyphenols represent a growing area of interest. These
nutrients are typically found in edible plants, especially colour fruits and vegetables, but also in other
organisms including seafood, algae, and fungi.
Both antioxidants and phytochemicals are supposed to influence (or protect) body systems, although
their mechanism of action and necessities are not as well established as in the case of other nutrients.
Although phytochemicals may act as antioxidants, not all the phytochemicals are antioxidants.
Probiotics
A probiotic can be a live (viable) culture of microbial species, a dead (non-viable) product of microbial
fermentation, or an extract of plant origin. It improves growth and development of the desirable microbial
population in an animal’s gut, facilitating their domination over undesirable organisms. Probiotics are not
essential in feed diets, although their inclusion has proven beneficial effects.
Microalgae chemical composition
Microalgae spontaneously respond to physico-chemical variations in the surrounding environment,
concomitantly modifying their chemical composition in order to adapt to those new environmental
conditions. Therefore, depending on growth conditions (including nutrient supplies, temperature,
and sunlight, among others), microalgae, even from the same strain, can exhibit large variations in