*7.4. Vitamins and Minerals*

Vitamins are well-known for their high antioxidant capacity. However, when attempting to reproduce their synthesis artificially, a decrease in activity with respect to those obtained directly from natural matrices was observed [162]. That is why new natural sources containing essential vitamins are continuously searched. Among them, microalgae biomass contains most of the essential vitamins (e.g., A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, nicotinate, biotin folic acid, and pantothenic acid), as well as an interesting variety of minerals (e.g., Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Zn) [163]. In fact, some species of microalgae contain high levels of some essential vitamins that are requested in higher quantities by humans. This is the case of B12 vitamin, which can be combined with a mineral content, such as iron, thus converting it in an ideal dietary supplement for vegetarian diets. An example of such combination is Spirulina. However, and as expected, not all algae contain the same amounts of the same vitamins. The vitamin content of each species of algae depends on endogenous factors, such as their life cycles, their growth status and genotype, as well as on exogenous factors, such as the amount of nutrients in their habitat, the intensity of the light reaching them and the processes they suffer since they are collected. Therefore, there are several different factors that can be modulated to achieve the desired amounts of algae vitamins [33].
