Microalgae as a new source of bioactive compounds in food supplements

•The microalgal biomass is rich in lipids, proteins and carbohydrates.•Microalgae have potential applications in functional food supplements.•Microalgae contains biocompounds of interest by food and pharmaceutical industries.

Microalgae contain several bioactive compounds that can supplement the nutritional and energy needs of the population. The biochemical composition of microalgae can be manipulated by altering the culture conditions and environmental stress to induce the microorganisms to produce high concentrations of a biocompound of interest. In addition, microalgae do not require arable land and can be grown in regions where land use change is not a concern. Thus, the present work is a review of the biotechnological and biochemical potential of microalgae in food, wherein the main functional constituent compounds are in the biomass. The biological effects of these bioactive substances and possible applications for food products are also discussed.