Research Projects

Humans and some mammals struggle to synthesize essential PUFAs like linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA), precursors of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Therefore, intake of these PUFAs from external sources like fishes is essential. Autotrophic microalgae, which are considered the best source of PUFA due to their high yield, rapid growth, and excellent carbon dioxide capturing capacity, are considered sustainable sources to meet population nutritional demands. Among the 3,00,000 microalgal species, approximately 30,000 have been identified, and there is still potential for more. Microalgae can adapt quickly to extreme climatic conditions, producing biologically active compounds used in nutraceuticals, cosmeceutical formulations, and pharmaceutics. To extract lipids from microalgae, appropriate pretreatment and extraction methods are needed. Classical approaches like soxhlet extraction, Folch, and Bligh-Dyer extraction are commonly used, but innovative approaches like microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction are being explored. The lipid obtained is subjected to saponification, methylation, winterization, and urea complexation to obtain purified PUFA, which finds unique application in nutraceutical and therapeutic industries. Encapsulation can solve problems associated with fortification of foods with PUFA, such as autoxidation leading to rancidity and short shelf life. This proposal aims to use PUFA for enrichment of milk and bread as a nutritional supplement and encourages biorefinery by using residual microalgal biomass as biomanure for organic farming.