Browsing by Person "Frick, Konstantin"

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Exploring Phaeodactylum tricornutum for nutraceuticals: cultivation techniques and neurotoxin risk assessment
(2025) Ebbing, Tobias; Kopp, Lena; Frick, Konstantin; Simon, Tabea; Würtz, Berit; Pfannstiel, Jens; Schmid-Staiger, Ulrike; Bischoff, Stephan C.; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Faraloni, Cecilia; Touloupakis, Eleftherios
This study investigates the potential of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) as a sustainable and nutritionally valuable food source, focusing on its ability to produce bioactive compounds such as eicosapentaenoic acid, fucoxanthin, chrysolaminarin (CRY) and proteins. PT was cultivated in a flat-plate airlift photobioreactor (FPA-PBR) illuminated with LEDs from two sides. The study aimed to monitor and minimize β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) levels to address safety concerns. The data showed that the selected FPA-PBR setup was superior in biomass and EPA productivity, and CRY production was reduced. No BMAA was detected in any biomass sample during cultivation. By adjusting the cultivation conditions, PT biomass with different compositional profiles could be produced, enabling various applications in the food and health industries. Biomass from nutrient-repleted conditions is rich in EPA and Fx, with nutritional and health benefits. Biomass from nutrient-depleted conditions accumulated CRY, which can be used as dietary fiber. These results highlight the potential of PT as a versatile ingredient for human consumption and the effectiveness of FPA-PBRs with artificial lighting in producing high-quality biomass. This study also provides the basis for future research to optimize photobioreactor conditions to increase production efficiency and to tailor the biomass profiles of PT for targeted health-promoting applications.
Flavor-boosting of Phaeodactylum tricornutum by fermentation with edible mushrooms
(2024) Rigling, Marina; Liang, Jiaqi; Entenmann, Isa; Frick, Konstantin; Schmid-Staiger, Ulrike; Xiang, Can; Kopp, Lena; Bischoff, Stephan C.; Zhang, Yanyan
Microalgae are a promising and sustainable source of nutritious food, especially for use in alternatives to fish and seafood. Among them, Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) stands out for its potential to revolutionize future diets with its rich nutrient profile and eco-friendly cultivation methods. However, its typically fishy and “brackish water” off-odor has been a significant deterrent. Using 13 basidiomycetes as starter cultures, the dynamic changes in the aroma were studied. To better understand the aroma development during fermentation, odor-active compounds were identified using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry. By submerged fermentation lasting 39 and 51 hours with Pleurotus citrinopileatus (PCI) and Pleurotus eryngii (PER), respectively, the unpalatable odor of PT was transformed into savory and seafood-like aromas, while retaining most of the valuable carotenoids (fucoxanthin and β-carotene were retained at 75 % and 90 %) and fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were preserved at 80 % of their initial concentrations). Throughout the fermentation process, key odorants responsible for the algae's initial green, grassy, and unpleasant odor were reduced, while compounds responsible for savory and seafood-like fragrances increased. A series of sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl disulfide, were found to be major contributors to the post-fermentation aroma.
Monodopsis subterranea is a source of α‐tocomonoenol, and its concentration, in contrast to α‐tocopherol, is not affected by nitrogen depletion
(2024) Montoya‐Arroyo, Alexander; Muñoz‐González, Alejandra; Lehnert, Katja; Frick, Konstantin; Schmid‐Staiger, Ulrike; Vetter, Walter; Frank, Jan
α-Tomonoenols (αT1) are tocochromanols structurally related to tocopherols (T) and tocotrienols (T3), the bioactive members of the vitamin E family. However, limited evidence exists regarding the sources and biosynthesis of tocomonoenols. Nitrogen depletion increases the content of α-tocopherol (αT), the main vitamin E congener, in microalgae, but little is known regarding its effect on other tocochromanols, such as tocomonoenols and tocotrienols. We therefore quantified the concentrations of T, T1, and T3, in freeze-dried biomass from nitrogen-sufficient, and nitrogen-depleted Monodopsis subterranea (Eustigmatophyceae). The identities of isomers of αT1 were confirmed by LC–MS and GC–MS. αT was the predominant tocochromanol (82% of total tocochromanols). αT1 was present in higher quantities than the sum of all T3 (6% vs. 1% of total tocochromanols). 11′-αT1 was the main αT1 isomer. Nitrogen depletion increased αT, but not αT1 or T3 in M. subterranea. In conclusion, nitrogen depletion increased the content of αT, the biologically most active form of vitamin E, in M. subterranea without affecting αT1 and T3 and could potentially be used as a strategy to enhance its nutritional value but not to increase αT1 content, indicating that αT1 accumulation is independent of that of αT in microalgae.
Potentially beneficial effects on healthy aging by supplementation of the EPA-rich microalgae phaeodactylum tricornutum or its supernatant - a randomized controlled pilot trial in elderly individuals
(2022) Stiefvatter, Lena; Frick, Konstantin; Lehnert, Katja; Vetter, Walter; Montoya-Arroyo, Alexander; Frank, Jan; Schmid-Staiger, Ulrike; Bischoff, Stephan C.
Dietary supplements that promote healthy aging are mostly warranted in an aging society. Because of age-related risks, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agents such as microalgae are potential candidates for intervention. In a randomized controlled trial, we tested Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT), a microalgae rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), carotenoids, vitamins, and β-glucans, cultured in bioreactors. In this pilot trial, 19 healthy elderly received supplements for two weeks based on either the whole PT (A), the β-1,3-glucan-rich PT supernatant (SupB), the combination thereof (A+SupB), or a Comparator product (Comp). The primary outcome variable plasma interleukin-6 was reduced after treatment with A+SupB compared to the Comp group (p = 0.04). The mobility parameters 5 s sit-to-stand test (p = 0.04 in the A group) and by trend gait speed (p = 0.08 in the A+SupB diet) were improved compared to Comp. No treatment effects were observed for fatty acids, compared to Comp but omega-6 to -3 fatty acid ratio (p = 0.006) and arachidonic acid/EPA ratio (p = 0.006) were reduced within group A+SupB. Further, the SupB study product reduced faecal zonulin (p = 0.03) compared to the Comp. The data revealed an anti-inflammatory and potentially anti-oxidative effect of particular PT preparations, suggesting that they might be suitable for effects in healthy elderly.