Question

What is the commercial importance of algae?

Answer 1

Answer:

​Commercial importance of algae:

• ​Red Algae (Gelidium) is used to prepare commericially important product - agar which is a gel forming substance. It is a common ingredient in many Asian desserts and is also used in microbiology procedures.
• Edible seaweeds algae ( bull kelp brown algae Nereocystis luetkeana, giant kelp etc.) are used in the preparation of food and is harvested to make a variety of commercial products.
• ​Seaweed and microalgae are also potential source of protein and are used for protein production. Chlorella (a genus of single-cell green algae), due to their high protein content, are used for the production of single cell protein, for making nutritional supplements and medicines. Algae are considered as superfoods due to high concentration of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and proteins.
• Green microalgae  Haematococcus pluvialis ​​is used for the production of carotenoid pigments such as Astaxanthin.
• High value commericially important products are produced in microalgae with recombinant DNA technology