Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective evaluation of diverse microalgae extracts enriched in carotenoids

Microalgae represent one of the most promising sources of bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical and food industries. Among these bioactives, carotenoids could be highlighted due to their health-promoting effects, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective or antioxidant properties. In this study, diverse microalgae extracts enriched in carotenoids, including extracts from Haematococcus pluvialis, Nannochloropsis oceanica, Tisochrysis lutea and Porphyridium cruentum, were evaluated through a battery of in vitro neuroprotective assays in an effort to estimate their potential against neurological disorders. Results indicated that microalgae extracts exerted a moderate and selective cholinesterase inhibitory potential, as well as high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, highlighting N. oceanica and T. lutea extracts. In parallel, cytotoxicity tests and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory capacity of the microalgae extracts were performed using different models. In this regard, N. oceanica extract showed the highest inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine release, indicating that this microalga extract could be the most promising neuroprotective agent. [Display omitted] •PLE allows to recover potentially neuroprotective carotenoids from microalgae.•Carotenoids-enriched extracts present moderate in vitro anti-cholinergic activity.•The extracts lack of toxicity in HK2, THP-1 and SH-SY5Y cell lines below 50 μg mL−1.•N. oceanica extract inhibits release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in THP-1 cells.