Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Bio-derived Molecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 457

Special Issue Editors


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Department of Science, Università degli studi della Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Interests: genetic; molecular biology; agronomy; microalgae
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world of microalgae offers new ideas and research opportunities every day. Their numerous production capacities make them usable in different fields, such as agronomy, energy, and pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. For this reason, we have decided to garner the latest scientific news regarding discoveries on microalgal compounds and their peculiar characteristics in this Special Issue.

This Special Issue on “Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae” seeks high-quality research focusing on novel process design and technology development for product innovation from microalgae. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Genetic modification;
  • Downstream purification, separation, and recovery;
  • Product innovation from microalgae;
  • Applications of value-added products;
  • Process stimulation;
  • Lifecycle assessment;
  • Sustainable circular bioeconomy.

Dr. Giuseppe Martelli
Dr. Rosa Paola Radice
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microalgae
  • bioactive compounds
  • biomolecules
  • innovations

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3328 KB  
Article
In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Lipids Extracted from the Most Abundant Cyanobacterial Strains of the Therapeutic Euganean Thermal Muds
by Micol Caichiolo, Giuliana d’Ippolito, Angela Grazioso, Chiara Rampazzo, Angelica Marchetto, Fabrizio Caldara, Luisa Dalla Valle and Nicoletta La Rocca
Biomolecules 2025, 15(9), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15091301 - 10 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Cyanobacteria are a natural source of bioactive compounds increasingly recognized for their anti-inflammatory properties. In the Euganean Thermal District (Italy), thermal muds, used to cure arthro-rheumatic diseases, are prepared using natural clay and thermal water, resulting in a mature mud characterized by a [...] Read more.
Cyanobacteria are a natural source of bioactive compounds increasingly recognized for their anti-inflammatory properties. In the Euganean Thermal District (Italy), thermal muds, used to cure arthro-rheumatic diseases, are prepared using natural clay and thermal water, resulting in a mature mud characterized by a complex microbial biofilm dominated by Cyanobacteria. Among these, Phormidium sp. ETS-05 has been shown to contribute to the therapeutic properties of the mud, mainly through the production of bioactive compounds such as exopolysaccharides (EPS) and glycoglycerolipids (GLs). In contrast, the role of biomolecules from Thermospirulina andreolii ETS-09 and Kovacikia euganea ETS-13, also abundant in mature muds but at higher maturation temperatures, has not been investigated. This study focuses on the lipid profiles of these cyanobacteria, cultivated under temperature conditions that mimic their natural environment and that are different for the three species. Lipid extracts were analyzed for GLs classes and fatty acid composition, and their anti-inflammatory potential was assessed in vivo using a zebrafish inflammation model. All extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity with Phormidium sp. ETS-05 displaying the highest lipid content and the most rapid and potent beneficial effect, likely due to the specific composition of its GLs, presenting the greatest abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These findings provide new insights into the biological basis of the therapeutic effects of Euganean muds and emphasize the importance of maturation conditions for cyanobacterial growth and bioactive lipid production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae)
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