Microalgae in health care and functional foods: β-glucan applications, innovations in drug delivery and synthetic biology

Chao Li^{1

2

3}, Ming Du³, Yujie Han³, Wentao Sun³, Zixi Chen³, Qiong Liu³, Hui Zhu², Liqing Zhao⁴, Shuangfei Li³, Jiangxin Wang³

Affiliations

¹ College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
² School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China.
³ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
⁴ College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

PMID: 40103595
PMCID: PMC11913682
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1557298

Review

Microalgae in health care and functional foods: β-glucan applications, innovations in drug delivery and synthetic biology

Chao Li et al. Front Pharmacol. 2025.

. 2025 Mar 4:16:1557298.

doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1557298. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Chao Li^{1

2

3}, Ming Du³, Yujie Han³, Wentao Sun³, Zixi Chen³, Qiong Liu³, Hui Zhu², Liqing Zhao⁴, Shuangfei Li³, Jiangxin Wang³

Affiliations

¹ College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
² School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China.
³ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
⁴ College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

PMID: 40103595
PMCID: PMC11913682
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1557298

Abstract

Microalgae are emerging as a key player in healthcare, functional foods, and sustainable biotech due to their capacity to produce bioactive compounds like β-glucans, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants in an eco-friendly manner. This review comprehensively discusses the role of microalgae in healthcare and functional foods, focusing particularly on β-glucan therapeutics, drug delivery innovations, and synthetic biology applications. In healthcare, microalgae-derived compounds show immense promise for treating diseases, boosting immunity, and tackling oxidative stress. Euglena-derived paramylon, a type of β-glucan, has shown potential in various medical applications, including immunomodulation and anticancer therapy. Synthetic biology and bioprocess engineering are enhancing microalgae's therapeutic and nutritional value, with applications in drug delivery and personalized medicine. To maximize the potential of microalgae, further research and development are needed to address scalability, regulatory alignment, and consumer acceptance, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainable practices to align healthcare innovation with environmental conservation.

Keywords: drug delivery; functional foods; health care; microalgae; synthetic biology; β-glucan.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

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Microalgae in healthcare and functional food applications.

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Microalgae in health care and functional foods: β-glucan applications, innovations in drug delivery and synthetic biology

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Microalgae in health care and functional foods: β-glucan applications, innovations in drug delivery and synthetic biology

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Conflict of interest statement

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