ESTIMATION OF β CAROTENE AND OTHER SECONDARY METABOLITES IN PLANTS AND ALGAE

Abstract

Plants and algae are emerging as an alternative sources of traditional food to meet the nutrient requirements. These have gained a lot of interest as the major source of nutraceuticals. They are rich in various nutritionally important compounds and possess diverse biological activities for instance antiviral, anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity. The plants and marine algae have ample amounts of nutraceuticals compound such as polysaccharides, vitamins, carotenoids, protein, lipids etc. These can prevent from delay and onset of chronic infections. The Spirulina based algal nutraceuticals boost immunity and resist viral infection. In the era when microbes developing resistance to antimicrobial drugs, algal compounds can be an alternative of antibiotics. Algae and plants have convincing characteristics to be a boon for industrial applications such as biodiversity, renewable and biosynthesis of various beneficial compounds.