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Antioxidants
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Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting...
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Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting Applications

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 4400

Editors

Dr. Clementina Sansone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
Interests: marine biotechnology; drug discovery; cell biology; pharmaceuticals; nutraceuticals and cosmetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesca Sansone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: drug delivery systems for pharmaceutical; nutraceutical and cosmetic applications; application of micro/nano-encapsulation techniques in particle engineering; biopolymers; medicinal plant extracts; spray drying; technological and solid state characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting Applications” addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with utilizing microalgae as bioactive and antioxidant food for human consumption and feed for aquaculture. Enhancing the use of microalgae to improve health outcomes aims to contribute to the development of eco-friendly solutions that align with sustainability goals.

Significant progress has been made in recent years in exploring the potential of microalgae-derived metabolites for aquaculture or human food. Antioxidants metabolites from microalgae, including carotenoids, fatty acids, phytohormones, carbohydrates, vitamins, peptides, and polyphenols, are of considerable interest for healthcare applications.

This Special Issue seeks contributions on how microalgae biomass and compounds affect animal fitness or human wellness through in vitro or in vivo approaches, focusing on metabolic pathways related to cellular responses to microalgae-derived antioxidants. We welcome studies involving genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics as well as microalgae antioxidant biosynthesis, and metabolism.

This Special issue highlights advanced delivery systems, such as encapsulation and carrier-based formulations, that enhance the stability, bioavailability, and targeted release of microalgae-derived bioactives. It aims to present recent advancements and encourages the submission of original research and review articles on promoting microalgae biotechnology for health, focusing on their benefits, mechanisms, and future perspectives.

Dr. Clementina Sansone
Dr. Francesca Sansone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microalgae
  • bioactive compounds
  • antioxidants
  • antioxidant metabolism
  • antioxidant biosynthesis
  • omics
  • vitamins
  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • postbiotics
  • drug delivery
  • signal transduction
  • gut/brain axis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 7295 KB  
Article
The Algal Antioxidant Carotenoid Diatoxanthin as a Modulator of Inflammation and Angiogenesis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
by Danilo Morelli, Luana Calabrone, Luisa Di Paola, Giovanna Chiorino, Paola Ostano, Douglas M. Noonan, Giovanni Corso and Adriana Albini
Antioxidants 2026, 15(2), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15020205 - 4 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Algal carotenoids play a promising role in handling chronic diseases due to their diverse bioactive properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. This study assesses the activity of the antioxidant xanthophyll diatoxanthin (Dt), derived from marine diatoms, against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells [...] Read more.
Algal carotenoids play a promising role in handling chronic diseases due to their diverse bioactive properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. This study assesses the activity of the antioxidant xanthophyll diatoxanthin (Dt), derived from marine diatoms, against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells using in vitro models, gene expression evaluation, and explores its role in potentiating the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy. Dt exhibited selective activity against MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 TNBC cells at concentrations ≥12.5 ng/mL, with maximal effects observed at 25 ng/mL while sparing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) at these doses. When combined with doxorubicin (0.1–0.5 μM), Dt enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy in both TNBC cell lines, further reducing cell viability compared with doxorubicin alone (p < 0.05–0.001). Dt also exerted its activity in inhibiting migration and chemotaxis by approximately 30–50% compared with the controls (p < 0.01) and suppressing 3D-tumor spheroid growth at day 12 (up to >50% reduction, p < 0.001). Notably, secretome analysis revealed Dt-induced changes in inflammatory, oxidative and angiogenic mediators, highlighting its ability to modulate the TNBC microenvironment. Dt also downregulated key pro-survival, pro-angiogenic and pro-tumorigenic genes in both TNBC cell lines, supporting its role in disrupting oncogenic pathways. Angiogenesis-related genes were significantly reduced. Dt also decreased the expression of angiogenic mediators in HUVECs, supporting Dt’s role in inhibiting tumor vascularization. Results on gene expression regulation were also confirmed by RNA-Seq analysis. These findings pose Dt as a promising chemopreventing candidate in the challenging fight against TNBC, a well-known type of cancer that is aggressive and resistant to conventional therapies, targeting critical pathways for tumor survival, such as inflammation, angiogenesis, tumor cell growth, and cell migration. Given its selective activity against TNBC cells, ability to enhance chemotherapy efficacy, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment, Dt holds promise as a complementary drug for cancer prevention and interception. Future studies should focus on validating these effects in vivo and exploring Dt’s potential in combinatorial treatment strategies for cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting Applications)
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16 pages, 2381 KB  
Article
A Phycoerythrin-SOD Fluorescent Probe Enables Detection of Oxidative Stress for Assessing Astaxanthin in NAFLD
by Kun Li, Zhen Zhang, Ran Chen, Shilin Wu, Ning Yang, Jingyun Chen, Hongxiang Zhao, Pei Wang, Yunmei Yin, Meicong Xiao and Rongqing Zhang
Antioxidants 2026, 15(2), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15020189 - 2 Feb 2026
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Objective: To develop a superoxide dismutase (SOD) fluorescent detection probe based on Phycoerythrin (PE) from Porphyridium cruentum for real-time monitoring of SOD activity, a core biomarker of oxidative stress, in a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model, and to explore the regulatory effect [...] Read more.
Objective: To develop a superoxide dismutase (SOD) fluorescent detection probe based on Phycoerythrin (PE) from Porphyridium cruentum for real-time monitoring of SOD activity, a core biomarker of oxidative stress, in a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model, and to explore the regulatory effect of astaxanthin. Methods: Phycoerythrin and SOD were covalently coupled using the heterobifunctional cross-linker N-Succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP), and the probe concentration and incubation time were optimized. A NAFLD model was established in HepG2 cells induced by free fatty acids (FFAs). The fluorescence intensity of the probe was detected by flow cytometry, and the intervention effect of astaxanthin was evaluated by measuring triglyceride (TG)/total cholesterol (TC) contents and SOD activity. Results: The optimal conditions for the Phycoerythrin-SOD probe were determined. Astaxanthin at 20 μM significantly reduced FFA-induced TG (56.8%) and TC (63.6%) contents and restored SOD activity to 60% of that in the control group. Conclusion: The Phycoerythrin-SOD probe serves as an efficient tool for dynamic monitoring of SOD activity in NAFLD. Astaxanthin alleviates liver injury by multi-target regulation of lipid metabolism and antioxidant pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting Applications)
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25 pages, 1868 KB  
Article
The Diatom Odontella aurita Modulates Melanogenesis in B16-F0 Cell Line
by Clementina Sansone, Luigi Pistelli, Debora Paris, Annabella Tramice, Annalaura Iodice and Christophe Brunet
Antioxidants 2025, 14(12), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14121402 - 25 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1097
Abstract
Melanin, a pigment synthesized by melanocytes, serves as the primary defense against UV-induced skin damage due to its potent antioxidant properties. There is increasing interest in natural substances capable of modulating the melanogenic pathway, particularly in hypopigmentation disorders. This study investigated the effect [...] Read more.
Melanin, a pigment synthesized by melanocytes, serves as the primary defense against UV-induced skin damage due to its potent antioxidant properties. There is increasing interest in natural substances capable of modulating the melanogenic pathway, particularly in hypopigmentation disorders. This study investigated the effect of methanolic extracts from the diatom Odontella aurita—authorized as a food supplement in the EU—on melanogenesis in the B16-F0 murine melanoma cell line. The research evaluated melanin content, tyrosinase activity, and the expression of melanogenesis-related genes and proteins at defined time points. Metabolomic and biochemical analyses were performed to characterize the extract’s composition. Treatment with O. aurita extract significantly increased melanin content in B16-F0 cells by 45% (p < 0.01) compared to control. Tyrosinase activity was elevated by 38% after 24 h (p < 0.01), with gene and protein expression analyses confirming upregulation of Tyrosinase (TYR) after 0.5 h, Tyrosinase Related Protein-1 (TRP1) after 1 h, and Tyrosinase Related Protein-2 (TRP2) after 8 h. The extract also enhanced the cellular antioxidant environment, as evidenced by increased levels of metabolic cofactors and pigment-precursor amino acids. O. aurita methanolic extract accelerates and sustains melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, distinguishing its effect from single-compound inducers. These findings support the therapeutic potential of O. aurita for pigmentary disorders and skin health. Further studies should investigate its efficacy and safety in vivo and explore its application in cosmeceutical and nutraceutical formulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microalgae FoodOmics and FeedOmics: Antioxidant Enrichment, ROS Modulation, and Health-Boosting Applications)
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