Effects of Dietary Microalgae Supplementation on Mammals’ Production and Health

Abstract

Nutritional supplements of microalgae in small amounts to humans and animals are considered one of the sources for improving nutritional values throughout the world. The microalgae are classified into four groups: green (Chlorophyceae), blue-green (Cyanophyceae), golden (Chrysophyceae), and diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) algae. Microalgae were given to humans and animals for nutritional and therapeutic purposes. Microalgae and their purified constituents have been shown beneficial effects in several studies on mammals’ production and health. The roles of microalgae and their purified compound as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-tumour have been well established. The valuable chemical constituents of microalgae include “proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, PUFAs, vitamins, pigments and other bioactive compounds”. The microalgae composition varies depending on species and nutrient availability for production. Genetic engineering might be used for production invaluable microalgae compounds. Microalgae consider a promising source of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs), which have beneficial effects for humans and animals. Knowledge for microalgae effects on productive, reproductive and therapeutic performances is more fragmentary. Therefore, the present standard review article is compiled and discussed seventy-one articles concerning the effects of microalgae and their purified compounds on growth and reproductive performances and body health collected of scienceDirect and Elsevier search engine, of which 49.0% were published in the last five years.