Industrial production of spirulina as a protein source for bioactive peptide generation

Background: Enzymatic hydrolysates containing peptides with biological activity are being studied as potential novel ingredients in functional foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Recently, the microalga Spirulina was suggested as a potential source of bioactive peptides. However, the industrial production of bioactive peptides derived from Spirulina has not yet been achieved mainly caused by high production costs and a limited number of scientific reports validating the observed bioactivities in vivo. Scope and approach: In this review, current challenges and needs for reducing the costs of Spirulina production are described. This study emphasises the importance of designing the process based on the end application of the produced biomass, focusing on those requirements needed to improve protein content. Moreover, current methods used to extract proteins and produce bioactive peptides are also summarised and described. Key findings and conclusions: Large-scale production of Spirulina using raceway reactors is a reality. Different types of water and nutrients have been studied and their selection will depend largely on the end application of the produced biomass. The performance of large raceway reactors is unknown and more sophisticated systems such as thin-layer cascade reactors have not yet been assessed for the large scale production of Spirulina. Spirulina proteins are a promising source of bioactive peptides, although further in vivo studies are needed to validate the several bioactivities observed in vitro.

Automated summary

This review describes the current challenges and needs for reducing the costs of Spirulina production, emphasizing the importance of designing the process based on the end application of the produced biomass. Spirulina proteins are a promising source of bioactive peptides, but further in vivo studies are needed to validate the observed bioactivities in vitro.