Microalgae are “under-exploited crops” and do not compete with the traditional food crops for their space and resources. For illustrative purposes only.
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) scientists have highlighted Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), a protein-rich extract derived from the microalgae ‘Chlorella sorokiniana’, as an ideal substance for various food and feed applications.
No matter what, microalgae are termed “under-exploited crops”, which means they don’t affect the arable land meant for common foods or biofuel production. CGF has emerged as a promising alternative protein source due to its rich amino acid content and superior protein quality resulted in significant improvement of human and animal feeds by S. Venkata Mohan and M. Hemalatha et al., according to findings of their latest research.
The scientists at the institute’s bioengineering and environmental sciences lab argued that this is beyond just basic nutrition, it supports good health, immunity, and well-being over all Hence, incorporation of CGF could be one way to boost dietary intake while supporting sustainable food/feed production systems.
This specific material is claimed to be found exclusively inside cell nucleus of ‘chlorella’ where it is produced during photosynthesis process packed with various beneficial components including polypeptides, amino acids, nucleotides, glycopolymers, polysaccharides vitamins as well as minerals.
In laboratory conditions researchers first isolated ‘Chlorella sorokiniana’ which was then grown using specially formulated nutrient mixtures designed to enhance its biomass yield coupled with high protein levels Extraction of CGF from harvested biomasses uses non-chemical autolytic processes that ensure amino acids together with other valuable constituents remains intact.
The main source of essential amino acids that are vital for humans but cannot be synthesized by either humans or vertebrates is known as CGF because it is particularly rich in such. This is evidenced by protein efficiency ratio (PER), essential Amino acid index (EAAI) and biological value (BV) metrics even exceed the amino acid profile of commercially available soy meal.
The inclusion of CGF into poultry feeds increases egg quality, showing that it could be used as a better source proteins in animal nutrition. The scientists added that this study has emphasized the importance of efficient microalgae cultivation techniques to maximize yield and quality of protein-rich extracts, thereby providing an innovative solution for addressing global protein malnutrition problems with high-quality protein sources through developing sustainable technologies.
The article’s findings titled “Amino Acids Rich Biomass Cultivation: Trophic Mode Influence on Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) Production” has been published in the most recent issue of Algal Research journal.
