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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1456230
This article is part of the Research Topic Microalgae as Sustainable Food Resources: Prospects, Novel Species, Bioactive Compounds, Cultivation Process and Food Processing View all 5 articles

Mutagenesis selection and large-scale cultivation of nongreen Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for food applications

Provisionally accepted
Li Feng Li Feng *Gang Cao Gang Cao Kun Hu Kun Hu Zhewen Hu Zhewen Hu Qianlong Wu Qianlong Wu Siyuan Liu Siyuan Liu Xiaoping Chen Xiaoping Chen Xiangrui Meng Xiangrui Meng Zhangfeng Hu Zhangfeng Hu
  • Jianghan University, Wuhan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is an accepted food ingredient in the United States of America, the European Union, Singapore, and China. It can be consumed in unlimited quantities. Because this alga is rich in nutrients, protein, rough polysaccharides, and contains a balanced proportion of various amino acids, it is an excellent raw material for food production. While various edible brown and green algae exist on the market, their color and strong grassy flavor have limited their acceptance among consumers, and their application in food additives and animal feed has been limited. Method: Chlorophyll-deficient C. reinhardtii mutants were developed by atmospheric and room temperature plasma technology. Results: A yellow-colored C. reinhardtii variant (A7S80) cultivated in dark conditions was isolated. This light-sensitive variant has a mutation in the chlM gene, and can grow heterotrophically using acetate as a carbon source. Conclusion: Compared to wild type C. reinhardtii, A7S80 has significantly lower chlorophyll levels, a reduced grassy flavor, and more diverse pigments, with considerable potential for commercial application in human and food production, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

    Keywords: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, ARTP mutagenesis, Chlorophyll deficiency, High-density heterotrophic cultures, Nutritional applications

    Received: 28 Jun 2024; Accepted: 05 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Feng, Cao, Hu, Hu, Wu, Liu, Chen, Meng and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Li Feng, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.