Euglena gracilis, usually considered a “superfood,” is a promising microalga with many well being and dietary advantages. In a current research, researchers from Japan discovered an environment friendly and low-resource method to set off a reddening response in E. gracilis utilizing pink mild and a bonito fish-based tradition medium. This response is a signal of upper and various carotenoid content material ratio, that means the proposed technique might assist flip E. gracilis into an much more nutritious meals supply.
Over the previous few years, individuals have usually turn into extra acutely aware concerning the meals they eat. Due to simpler entry to info in addition to public well being campaigns and media protection, individuals are extra conscious of how diet ties in with each well being advantages and power illnesses. Because of this, there may be an ongoing cultural shift in most international locations, with individuals prioritizing consuming healthily. In flip, the demand for more healthy meals choices and dietary dietary supplements is steadily rising.
Consistent with these adjustments, Assistant Professor Kyohei Yamashita from Tokyo College of Science (TUS), Japan, has been learning a promising “superfood” referred to as Euglena gracilis for over half a decade. A species of edible microalgae, E. gracilis has a wealthy dietary profile, with a singular mixture of nutritional vitamins, fibers, lipids, and proteins. Like most different photosynthetic crops, E. gracilis additionally comprises carotenoids — pure substances with all kinds of well being advantages.
In a research printed in 2023, a analysis crew from TUS discovered a easy technique to effectively develop E. gracilis in a reasonable medium (strong or liquid that comprises vitamins and is used to develop micro organism) based mostly on tomato juice. Now, in a brand new research, the researchers have explored a promising method to make cultured E. gracilis produce carotenoids at a better price, rendering it much more nutritious. This research, which was co-authored by Dr. Kengo Suzuki from Euglena Co., Ltd., in addition to Professor Tatsuya Tomo and Professor Eiji Tokunaga from TUS, was printed in Quantity 13, Difficulty 4 of the journal Crops in February 12, 2024.
The proposed method is kind of easy, and so is its rationale. When a plant is uncovered to high-intensity mild for prolonged durations of time, it undergoes a light-stress response. This, in flip, may cause the organism to supply molecules that defend it from additional mild publicity, together with carotenoids. Based mostly on these info, the researchers investigated whether or not they might induce such a response in E. gracilis to boost its carotenoid content material ratio.
To this finish, the crew ran a collection of experiments on a number of batches of cultured E. gracilis. They uncovered cultures to mild of various wavelengths (or colours) and at completely different intensities searching for a “reddening response,” which is a tell-tale signal of upper carotenoid manufacturing in lots of plant species. Furthermore, additionally they examined a brand new tradition medium based mostly on bonito inventory, a soup inventory extracted from Katsuobushi, a conventional Japanese dish constituted of smoked bonito fish.
Curiously, the researchers discovered that robust red-light irradiation at 605-660 nm triggered a reddening response in E. gracilis when cultured in bonito inventory. Additionally they appeared on the chemical profiles of the cultures utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography, each on the tradition and single-cell degree. These analyses revealed that reddened cells not solely had a excessive focus of diadinoxanthin, probably the most plentiful carotenoid in E. gracilis, but in addition produced an unidentified xanthophyll-type carotenoid. On prime of those, the crew additionally famous that bonito inventory cultures grew faster and reached increased densities than cultures grown on standard media, and certain produced extra varieties or quantities of carotenoids.
Collectively, the outcomes of this research might pave the best way for an progressive and simply scalable method for rising nutritious E. gracilis. The tactic’s simplicity is actually certainly one of its strengths, as Dr. Yamashita remarks, “Our method doesn’t contain genetic modifications and will thus be readily adopted by the meals trade to increase using E. gracilis, each in meals and as a dietary complement.” Notably, bonito inventory is a nutritious meals and utilizing it within the tradition medium would, subsequently, present further well being advantages.
Except for its advantages to us people, rising E. gracilis also can assist the setting. “E. gracilis cultivation, which requires comparatively few assets, generally is a sustainable meals useful resource,” explains Dr. Yamashita. “Our analysis marks an essential step towards the event of recent meals applied sciences that contribute to individuals’s lives from each well being and environmental views.“
With the carotenoid market poised to turn into a multi-billion-dollar trade by 2030, this research will assist deepen our understanding of carotenoid biosynthetic pathways, hopefully resulting in the event of sustainable practices within the manufacturing of dietary dietary supplements and rising meals.
