RT Journal Article
T1 Microalgae as a safe food source for animals: nutritional characteristics of the acidophilic microalga Coccomyxa onubensis
A1 Navarro Roldán, Francisco Juan
A1 Forján Lozano, Eduardo
A1 Vázquez, María
A1 Montero Lobato, Zaida
A1 Bermejo, Elisabeth
A1 Castaño López, Miguel Ángel
A1 Toimil, Alberto
A1 Chagüaceda, Enrique
A1 García Sevillano, Miguel Ángel
AB Background: Edible microalgae are marine or fresh water mesophilic species. Although the harvesting ofmicroalgae offers an abundance of opportunities to the food and pharmaceutical industries, the possibility touse extremophilic microalgae as a food source for animals is not well-documented.Objective: We studied the effects of dietary supplementation of a powdered form of the acidophilic microalgaCoccomyxa onubensis on growth and health parameters of laboratory rats.Method: Four randomly organized groups of rats (n 6) were fed a standard diet (Diet 1, control) or witha diet in which 0.4% (Diet 2), 1.25% (Diet 3), or 6.25% (Diet 4) (w/w) of the standard diet weight wassubstituted with dried microalgae powder, respectively. The four groups of animals were provided ad libitumaccess to feed for 45 days.Results: C. onubensis biomass is rich in protein (44.60% of dry weight) and dietary fiber (15.73%), and has amoderate carbohydrate content (24.8%) and a low lipid content (5.4%) in which polyunsaturated fatty acidsrepresent 65% of the total fatty acid. Nucleic acids are present at 4.8%. No significant difference was found ingrowth rates or feed efficiency ratios of the four groups of rats. Histological studies of liver and kidney tissuerevealed healthy organs in control and C. onubensis-fed animals, while plasma hematological and biochemicalparameters were within healthy ranges for all animals. Furthermore, animals fed a microalgae-enricheddiet exhibited a statistically significant decrease in both blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The bloodtriglyceride content and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels decreased by about 50% in ratsfed Diet 4.Conclusions: These data suggest that C. onubensis may be useful as a food supplement for laboratory animalsand may also serve as a nutraceutical in functional foods. In addition, microalgae powder-supplemented dietsexerted a significant hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effect in animals.
PB Elsevier
SN 1245-3254
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/12765
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/12765
LA eng
NO Navarro Roldán, F.,J., Forján Lozano, E., Vázquez, M., Montero, Z., Bermejo, E., Castaño López, M.A., Toimil, A., Chagüaceda, E., García Sevillano, M.A.: "Microalgae as a safe food source for animals: nutritional characteristics of the acidophilic microalga Coccomyxa onubensis".  Food & Nutrition Research. Vol. 60, (2016). DOI: 10.3402/fnr.v60.30472
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026