Page 491 - Economia Azul - versão: inglês

In addition to diseases, through a pub- delay in aging, tanning and cellulite reduc- photosynthesis and can serve as a potential and is expected to reach 980 billion reais
lic survey recently carried out by researchers tion, for example. source of food and energy in the form of by 2022, according to the British institution
from the Brazilian Navy (IEAPM) in 2021, it An example of a marine nutraceutical biomass. Like Spirulina, it also makes it an The Food Tech Matters. In this food revo-
was found that the health area that uses that deserves to be highlighted is the poly- attractive food source for its high propor- lution caused by foodtechs, the following
marine biotechnology and is experiencing unsaturated fats known as “good fats”, tion of protein and other essential nutrients stand out in particular: biotechnological
increasing expansion is nutrition and cos- essential for health: omega 3 and omega for the human body. According to a com- agriculture, platforms for the purchase and
metics. Natural marine products are being 6. The most known source is fish, such as prehensive review on heavy metal detoxifi- sale of agricultural products, bioenergy and
classified and constantly marketed as super- salmon and sardines, but nowadays, there cation, Chlorella helps eliminate substances biomaterials, agricultural robotics, ecologi-
foods, as it has been known for a long time are also sources of vegan omega 3, extract- that we are exposed to on a daily basis and cal foods, and new farming systems.
that algae are the raw material for products ed and concentrated from algae, opening that are harmful to our health. Given these different approaches, it
such as shampoos, soaps and creams. These up a new market of opportunities. The hu- The foodtech industry is still in its infancy is safe to say that marine bioprospecting
last areas have developed enormously with man body does not produce these fats on in Brazil compared to other marine biotech- is just at the beginning of an ascending
greater opportunities for innovation, be- its own. When ingested, they will help to nology sectors. However, it is important to phase of development and that it will po-
coming a new trend for consumers in search maintain the structure of cells and the ner- emphasize its importance worldwide. This tentially contribute to the development of

of natural products for health and wellness. vous system. Two other nutraceuticals that market received about 1.3 billion dollars in the area of marine biotechnology applied
According to data from the Brazilian have been studied for many years are agar- venture capital investments until May 2018, to health, especially in the areas of nutri-
Agricultural Research Corporation (Em- agar and astaxanthin, a red carotenoid according to information from PitchBook, tion and pharmaceuticals.
brapa), of the 140 million tons of food obtained from a species of microalgae. Ac-
produced per year in Brazil, 26 million are cording to studies, it is known as a power- 3. The development models of marine biotechnology in Brazil
wasted. Proportionally to this situation, 19 ful natural antioxidant and has antioxidant
million Brazilians are starving. In order to efficiency superior to vitamin C in fighting Marine Biotechnology has a wide range in education and scientific development in
reverse this situation, several foodtechs are free radicals that cause cell aging. of technological applications that have pro- Brazil not resulted in an increase in the rate
proposing new models of conscious con- There are still foods rich in prebiotics, vided relevant benefits to society. Current- of technological innovation?
sumption, designed with sustainability and which are fiber and other non-digestible ly, several marine bioproducts have several A possible explanation can be found in
socio-environmental impact focused on components derived from carbohydrates commercial applications, mainly in the Phar- the “Triple Helix” (TH) model of technolog-
plant-based and cell-based foods, called that contribute to the development of bene- maceutical, Food, Cosmetic and Naval In- ical development. This model developed by
foods of the future. ficial bacteria that inhabit the intestine, such dustry, among others. Brazil, despite having Henry Etzkovitz in the 1990s is today one of
Nutraceuticals are a type of food sup- as seaweed. Since the World Health Organi- a great marine biological diversity and a list the most popular and accepted metaphors
plement that contain in their composition zation elected Spirulina as the “food of the of highly qualified researchers, is behind its to explain the ability to transform scientific
bioactive compounds that were extracted millennium”, cyanobacterial extracts are in international partners in exploring the bio- knowledge into technological innovation.
from food and that have benefits for the evidence, being easily commercialized. Pop- technological potential of marine organisms. Basically, the model, which was developed
body and can even be used as a way to ularly known as “Blue Alga”, Spirulina is Among the aspects related to the use observing the most important centers and
complement the treatment for some dis- actually a cyanobacterium, which contains of Marine Biotechnology in society, tech- technology parks in the world, suggests that
ease, being the functional nutraceuticals. more than 50 essential nutrients for the nological innovation is the pillar of scientif- a higher rate of technological development
Nutricosmetics, on the other hand, is a body. Its numerous benefits are reported ic and socioeconomic development. In the is only possible from the partnership be-
term used by the cosmetics industry to in scientific studies, ranging from aid in the last decade, there has been a considerable tween academia (Universities and Research
designate products for oral administra- treatment of osteoporosis to the prevention expansion of Brazilian scientific production, Institutes as generators of knowledge), com-
tion, which are formulated and marketed of premature aging. In the same line of ac- but this has not been reflected in the pace panies (such as knowledge applicators) and
specifically to contribute to hydration, per- tion, we find Chlorella, a genus of unicellu- of technological and industrial develop- government (as knowledge promoters). In
formance in specific activities, weight loss, lar green algae that multiply rapidly through ment in Brazil. Why, then, have investments this model, biotechnology is inserted as an

488 BLUE ECONOMY Development of Marine Biotechnology 489