Microalgae: therapeutic potentials and applications

Recently, special attention has been paid to marine origin compounds such as carbohydrates, peptides, lipids, and carotenoids, which are extracted from microalgae and have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (e.g., anti-COVID-19 activity), and antioxidant properties in biomedicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology. In addition, these photosynthetic marine microorganisms have several applications in biotechnology and are suitable hosts for the production of recombinant proteins/peptides, such as monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. Silica-based nanoparticles obtained from diatoms (a microalgae group) are used as drug delivery carriers owing to their biodegradability, easy functionalization, low cost, and simple features compared to synthetics, which make these agents proper alternatives for synthetic silica nanoparticles. Therefore, diatom-based nanoparticles are a viable option for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs and reducing the side-effects of cancer chemotherapy.

Automated summary

Recently, marine origin compounds extracted from microalgae, such as carbohydrates, peptides, lipids, and carotenoids, have gained special attention in biomedicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology for their anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Silica-based nanoparticles derived from diatoms are being utilized as drug delivery carriers due to their biodegradability, easy functionalization, low cost, and simplicity, making them suitable alternatives to synthetic nanoparticles. Diatom-based nanoparticles are considered a viable option for delivering anti-cancer drugs and mitigating the side effects of cancer chemotherapy.