AlgaHealth: novel cultivation technologies of unique microalgae strains for high quality of fucoxanthin-based products.

Some seaweed is very good for your health. Fucoxanthin, for instance, is a natural substance sourced from brown seaweed. This golden-brown carotenoid pigment can break down white fat in the body, kill cancerous cells, and help fight Type II diabetes. Harvesting fucoxanthin from brown seaweeds is not sustainable as this seasonal crop has an expensive and time-consuming extraction process. The EU-funded AlgaHealth project has isolated, developed and cultivated new and proprietary microalgae strains of Isochrysis species. Novel agro-physiological manipulations helped make them grow faster and produce more fucoxanthin. With its innovative method for growing microalgae inland and novel microalgal strains, AlgaHealth will produce commercial levels of fucoxanthin with premium quality.