title: Microalgae as a safe food source for animals: nutritional characteristics of the acidophilic microalgaCoccomyxa onubensis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Edible microalgae are marine or fresh water mesophilic species. Although the harvesting of microalgae offers an abundance of opportunities to the food and pharmaceutical industries, the possibility to use extremophilic microalgae as a food source for animals is not well-documented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We studied the effects of dietary supplementation of a powdered form of the acidophilic microalgaCoccomyxa onubensison growth and health parameters of laboratory rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four randomly organized groups of rats (n=6) were fed a standard diet (Diet 1, control) or with a diet in which 0.4% (Diet 2), 1.25% (Diet 3), or 6.25% (Diet 4) (w/w) of the standard diet weight was substituted with dried microalgae powder, respectively. The four groups of animals were providedad libitumaccess to feed for 45 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C. onubensisbiomass is rich in protein (44.60% of dry weight) and dietary fiber (15.73%), and has a moderate carbohydrate content (24.8%) and a low lipid content (5.4%) in which polyunsaturated fatty acids represent 65% of the total fatty acid. Nucleic acids are present at 4.8%. No significant difference was found in growth rates or feed efficiency ratios of the four groups of rats. Histological studies of liver and kidney tissue revealed healthy organs in control andC. onubensis-fed animals, while plasma hematological and biochemical parameters were within healthy ranges for all animals. Furthermore, animals fed a microalgae-enriched diet exhibited a statistically significant decrease in both blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The blood triglyceride content and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels decreased by about 50% in rats fed Diet 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest thatC. onubensismay be useful as a food supplement for laboratory animals and may also serve as a nutraceutical in functional foods. In addition, microalgae powder-supplemented diets exerted a significant hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effect in animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology and Public Health, Cell Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.|Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Forján
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology and Public Health, Cell Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.|Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Zaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bermejo
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Complex of Huelva Juan Ramón Jiménez, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Castaño
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology and Public Health, Cell Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toimil
authors.affiliation: CIDERTA Investigation Center, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chagüaceda
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: García-Sevillano
authors.affiliation: Riotinto Hospital, Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pásaro
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain.
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garbayo
authors.affiliation: Algal Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA and Faculty of Sciences, University of Huelva and Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), Huelva, Spain; cvilchez@uhu.es.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vílchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vega
keywords: Coccomyxa onubensis; hypolipidemic induction; nutraceuticals; rats; safe food