Scientists led by NTU Singapore produce oils from microalgae
that could replace palm oil in food production
A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a method to effectively produce and extract plant-based oils from a type of common microalgae.
As the oils produced from the microalgae are edible and have superior properties as those found in palm oil, the newly discovered method would serve as a healthier and greener alternative to palm oil.
Compared to palm oil, the oil derived from the microalgae contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in blood and lower a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. The microalgae produced oil developed in collaboration with scientists from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, also contains fewer saturated fatty acids, which have been
linked to stroke and related conditions.
Palm oil is the world’s most popular vegetable oil, featuring in around half of all consumer products, and plays a central role in a large range of industrial applications1. Farmers produced 77 million tonnes of palm oil for the global market in 2018, and that is expected to grow to 107.6 million tonnes by 20242.
However, the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations is blamed for massive deforestation in several countries3, destroying the habitat of endangered native wildlife.
To produce the oils, pyruvic acid, an organic acid that occurs in all living cells, is added to a solution with the algae Chromochloris zofingiensis and exposed to ultraviolet light to stimulate photosynthesis. The NTU team has separately developed cost-cutting innovation to replace the microalgae culture medium with fermented soybean residues while improving the yield of microalgae biomass.
After 14 days, the microalgae is washed, dried, and then treated with methanol to break down the bonds between the oils and the algae protein, so that the oils can be extracted. The team has also developed green processing technology to extract efficiently microalgae-derived plant oils.
To produce enough plant-based oil to manufacture a store-bought chocolate bar that weighs 100 grams, 160 grams of algae would be required.
The algae oil innovation presents a possible alternative to the cultivation of palm trees for oil. It also reflects NTU’s commitment to mitigating our impact on the environment, which is one of four humanity’s grand challenges that the University seeks to address through its NTU 2025 strategic plan.
The results of the study were published in the peer-reviewed academic publication Journal of Applied Phycology in February.
Professor William Chen, Director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology (FST) Programme, who led the project, said: “Developing these plant-based oils from algae is yet another triumph for NTU Singapore, as we look to find successful ways to tackle problems in the agrifoodtech chain, especially those that have an adverse impact on the environment. Uncovering this as a potential
human food source is an opportunity to lessen the impact the food supply chain has on our planet.”
A triple-pronged approach to climate change: algae Besides serving as a greener alternative to cultivating palm trees for plant-based oils or fat, the NTU-developed technique also has the potential to help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, as well as food waste.
The scientists say that when scaled up, the production of the plant-based oils with natural sunlight, instead of using ultraviolet lights, would help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by converting it to biomass and oxygen via photosynthesis. As the microalgae grows, it converts carbon dioxide to biomass at relatively fast rates.
In a separate study, the scientists at NTU’s Food Science and Technology programme have also developed a process to produce the key reaction ingredient needed to cultivate the microalgae oil, pyruvic acid. This is done by fermenting organic waste products, such as soybean residues and fruit peels, which would not only reduce production costs, but help cut down on food waste.
Prof Chen added: “Our solution is a three-pronged approach to solving three pressing issues. We are capitalising on the concept of establishing a circular economy, finding uses for would-be waste products and re-injecting them into the food chain. In this case, we rely on one of nature’s key processes, fermentation, to convert that organic matter into nutrient-rich solutions, which could be used to cultivate algae, which not only reduces our reliance on palm oil, but keeps carbon out of the atmosphere.”
The scientists will be working on optimising their extraction methods to improve yield and quality. The research team has received interest from several food and beverage partners and could explore scaling up their operations within two years.
Due to the oils’ properties, the NTU team will be exploring adding them to plantbased meats to improve their texture and nutritional properties. They also hope to explore pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses in products such as topical creams, lipsticks, and more.
Original Article: Scientists led by NTU Singapore produce oils from microalgae that could replace palm oil in food production
More from: Nanyang Technological University | University of Malaya
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Microalgae oils
- DSM-Firmenich Launches Pet Health Ingredients
DSM-Firmenich has introduced new ingredients for pet formulations, including a cheddar food enhancer and omega-3s.
- Biomass fuels: challenges and opportunities
Biomass, deriving its carbon from atmospheric CO2, is deemed a carbon-neutral fuel (Figure 1). By cycling carbon through energy generation systems as biomass, it offers a means to address climate ...
- This Cooking Oil Is Made Using Algae—And TBH, It’s as Amazing (and Versatile!) as Olive Oil
A splash of olive oil is typically the first thing to hit the pan the moment I start cooking. With a smoke point of around 400ºF, a little bit of olive oil goes a long way—from kickstarting the ...
- Oil Spills News
Apr. 25, 2024 — Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized ...
- Best oil stocks of May 2024
Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy. TotalEnergies is a French integrated oil and gas company and one of the largest oil majors in the world. In 2023, it reported $35.9 billion in ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Microalgae oils
[google_news title=”” keyword=”microalgae oils” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Microalgae-derived plant oils
- Biomass fuels: challenges and opportunities
Biomass, deriving its carbon from atmospheric CO2, is deemed a carbon-neutral fuel (Figure 1). By cycling carbon through energy generation systems as biomass, it offers a means to address climate ...
- Systematic testing of natural oils on in vitro skin models
For some years now, the trend in the cosmetics and skincare sector has been toward transparency and natural, sustainable ingredients. A growing number of consumers are rejecting cosmetics that contain ...
- Breakthrough in plant oil production enhances industrial uses
Scientists have successfully engineered Arabidopsis, a commonly studied plant, to replicate these changes, leading to increased production of oils with properties like the commercially valuable castor ...
- Physaria Plant Discovery Could Lead to New Food Oil Production Method
Plant oils are used in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, industrial, chemical and biofuel industries. Plant oils’ value stems from its fatty acid composition. Around 90% of oil is valuable for ...
- Discovery of mechanism plants use to change seed oil could impact industrial, food oils
Researchers have discovered a new mechanism of oil biosynthesis and found a way to genetically engineer a type of test plant to more efficiently produce different kinds of seed oil that it otherwise ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Microalgae-derived plant oils
[google_news title=”” keyword=”microalgae-derived plant oils” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]