Microalgae: A potential alternative to health supplementation for humans

Microalgae has been consumed in human diet for thousands of years. It is an under-exploited crop for production of dietary foods. Microalgae cultivation does not compete with land and resources required for traditional crops and has a superior yield compared to terrestrial crops. Its high protein content has exhibited a huge potential to meet the dietary requirements of growing population. Apart from being a source of protein, presence of various bio-active components in microalgae provide an added health benefit. This review describes various microalgal sources of proteins and other bio-active components. One of the heavily studied group of bio-active components are pigments due to their anticarcenogenic,…