Development of new microalgae-based sourdough "crostini": functional aspects of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) addition

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of Arthrospira platensis F&M-C256 (spirulina) incorporation on the nutritional and functional properties of “crostini”, a leavened bakery product largely consumed in Italy and Europe. Sourdough was used as leavening and fermentation agent and three concentrations of A. platensis F&M-C256 were tested: 2%, 6% and 10% (w/w). Despite a lower volume increase compared to the control, the A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” doughs reached a technological appropriate volume after fermentation. At the end of fermentation, no significant differences in microorganisms concentrations were observed. A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” showed higher protein content compared to the control. Considering the European Commission Regulation on nutritional claims, “crostini” incorporated with 6% and 10% biomass can be claimed to be a “source of protein”. Six and ten percent A. platensis “crostini” also presented significantly higher antioxidant capacity and phenolics. A significantly lower value of in vitro dry matter and protein digestibility between A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” and the control was found. The overall acceptability decreased with increasing A. platensis F&M-C256 addition. The combination of spirulina biomass addition and the sourdough technology led to the development of a novel microalgae-based bakery product with nutritional and functional featuresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microalgal pigments: A source of natural food colors

Naturally sourced colorants and dyes are currently gaining demand over synthetic alternatives due to an increase in consumer awareness brought forward by health and environmental issues. Microalgae are unicellular organisms which are microscopic in size and represent major photosynthesizers with the ability to efficiently convert available solar energy to chemical energy. Due to their distinct advantages over terrestrial plants such as faster growth rates, ability to grow on non-arable land, and diversity in the production of various natural bioactive compounds (e.g., lipids, proteins, carbohydrate, and pigments), microalgae are currently gaining promise as a sustainable source for the production of natural food-grade colorants. The versatility of microalgae to produce various pigments (e.g., chlorophylls, carotenoids, xanthophylls, and phycobiliproteins) that can be commercially exploited as a source of natural colorant is there to be explored. Various growth factors such as temperature, pH, salinity, and light in terms of both quality and quantity have been shown to significantly impact pigment production. In this chapter, we comprehensively review the characteristics of microalgal pigments and factors that affect pigment production in microalgae while evaluating the overall feasibility of exploiting them as a natural source of food colorants