Microalgae-Derived Pigments: A 10-Year Bibliometric Review and Industry and Market Trend Analysis

Microalgae productive chains are gaining importance as sustainable alternatives to obtain natural pigments. This work presents a review on the most promising pigments and microalgal sources by gathering trends from a 10-year bibliometric survey, a patents search, and an industrial and market analysis built from available market reports, projects and companies' webpages. The performed analysis pointed out chlorophylls, phycocyanin, astaxanthin, and β-carotene as the most relevant pigments, and <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>, <i>Spirulina platensis</i>, <i>Haematococcus pluvialis</i>, and <i>Dunaliella salina</i>, respectively, as the most studied sources. <i>Haematococcus</i> is referred in the highest number of patents, corroborating a high technological interest in this microalga. The biorefinery concept, investment in projects and companies related to microalgae cultivation and/or pigment extraction is increasingly growing, particularly, for phycocyanin from <i>Spirulina platensis</i>. These pieces of evidence are a step forward to consolidate the microalgal pigments market, which is expected to grow in the coming years, increasing the prospects of replacing synthetic pigments by natural counterparts.