Euglena Species: Bioactive Compounds and their Varied Applications

Euglena, a microalga, has gained a great attention as it contains several bioactive compounds including food supplements, drugs and biofuels. The genus Euglena includes >300 species of unicellular, fresh water flagellates. The objective of this review article concerns the presentation of updated information on pharmacological and therapeutic properties and industrial implications of molecules isolated from Euglena species. A bibliographic search of scientific literature published till March, 2020 was made from scientific databases using different search engines. Euglena produces several antioxidant molecules, such as β-carotene, L-ascorbic acid, polymers of unsaturated fatty acids and phytotoxins useful in manufacturing many pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and nutraceutical compounds. It is a rich source of antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory compounds. Though, several studies have indicated its therapeutic applications, extensive research is needed to explore its efficacy against many pathophysiological conditions including toxicity assessment of compound(s). Nevertheless, the biotechnological influence on industrial production of Euglena has been less exploited.