Potential applications of microalgae-derived proteins and peptides in the food industry

With heightened interest of consumers in a green environment and sustainable production processes, microalgae have received significant attention as new model organisms for various commercial food protein applications. Due to their high tolerance to diverse and harsh environmental conditions, microalgae proteins have unique physicochemical and technofunctional properties that can be used in the formulation of new food/feed products. In addition, microalgae have high protein content that can be commercially extracted for the generation of bioactive peptides. However, due to the rigid cell wall structures and high viscosity, microalgae have low protein digestibility. Nonetheless, this challenge can be curtailed through cell disruption pretreatment approaches, which can increase the protein extraction yield while preserving the molecular integrity of the extracted proteins. This chapter presents a holistic discussion of the extraction, technofunctionality, and application of microalgae proteins and bioactive peptides in the food industry.