Sustainable Food Production and Nutraceutical Applications from Qatar Desert Chlorella sp. (Chlorophyceae)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The world population is increasing rapidly, putting pressure on the existing resources, especially in the food sector. Besides having a continuous supply of food, it is also important to identify food sources that are nutritionally beneficial to the health of animals, fish, and humans. Hence, a balanced feed supplement including all the essential nutrients, such as amino acids, omega fatty acids, sugars, and carotenoids, is required. In this context, we have studied the beneficial effects of using a microalga, Chlorella sp. isolated from the desert environment in Qatar, as a potential feed supplement. We found that the local strain showed a rich biochemical profile, with high amounts of proteins and lipids having biomolecules essential for human. Furthermore, the hexane extracts of this strain showed high antiproliferative activity against leukemia, one of the deadliest cancers in the world, proving its potential in the path of drug discovery against cancers. Our research findings thus highlight the nutraceutical potential of the local Chlorella sp., which can resist high temperatures of up to 40 °C, making it suitable for a large-scale production in ponds, year-round, for use as a sustainable food supplement. ABSTRACT: Microalgae isolated from the Qatari desert was identified as thermotolerant, with a rich metabolite profile that is appropriate for use as food and health supplements. In this research, a species of Chlorella, QUCCCM3, from the Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae, was investigated for its growth characteristics and metabolite compositions for use as potential feedstock for food production. The strain was cultivated at 30, 35, and 40 °C, covering the annual average low and high temperatures in Qatar. The highest growth rates were recorded for cultures at 30 °C with 0.64 ± 0.04 day(−1), followed by a growth rate of 0.54 ± 0.06 day(−1) at 40 °C, indicating its thermotolerance ability. The biomass exhibited a high protein content (43 ± 2.3%), with existence of lysine (4.13%) as an essential amino acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid as important omega fatty acids present. On the other hand, Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 also exhibited a high capacity for scavenging free radicals with an antiproliferative effect against chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cancer cells. The results indicate that Chlorella sp. QUCCCM3 is a promising candidate that can be produced year-round, in the Qatar environment, for commercial applications such as feed and nutraceutical supplements.