Microalgae are emerging as promising sources of “blue proteins,” a term used to categorize aquatic proteins derived from marine and freshwater organisms. Producing a large amount of biomass, microalgae are notable for their rich content of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive substances. Moreover, advances in cultivation, protein extraction, and product formulation have expanded microalgae's potential as key ingredients in novel and future food systems. Beyond their rich protein content, microalgae can synthesize a wide range of valuable compounds, such as carotenoids, PUFAs, and phycobiliproteins. These substances are known for their antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and health‐promoting properties, making them beneficial for use in the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors. Despite these compelling advantages, the large‐scale adoption of microalgae‐based blue proteins remains limited by interconnected challenges. Thus, key barriers include low consumer awareness and limited sensory acceptance, high production and processing costs, lack of standardized regulatory frameworks, and persistent cultural perceptions that associate microalgae with “non‐pleasant” food sources. These issues are complicated by technical hurdles in achieving desirable taste, texture, and color profiles for food applications. Overcoming these constraints will require multidisciplinary efforts that integrate innovations in biotechnology, food processing, sensory science, marketing, and public education. Regarding governments, policy development and investment in infrastructure are also crucial for cost reduction and to scale production sustainably. Therefore, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of key drivers, blockages, and future directions shaping the development of microalgae‐derived blue proteins and their role in building more sustainable, resilient, and nutritious food systems for the future.

For over 70 years, microalgae have been considered promising ingredients for developing sustainable, nutritionally rich foods. Their high protein content, presence of essential amino acids, fatty acids, natural pigments, and a myriad of bioactive compounds position them as potential alternatives to conventional ingredient sources. However, despite their significant potential, the large-scale incorporation of microalgae into food products remains limited. This study presents a critical analysis of the main challenges associated with the use of microalgae in the food industry. Key bottlenecks include high production costs, technological difficulties related to biomass processing, and challenges in extracting desirable compounds. Additionally, the strong flavor, odor, and intense coloration of microalgal biomass can negatively affect sensory acceptance in food products. Other limitations involve scalability issues in cultivation systems, risks of contamination during production, and regulatory constraints related to food safety approval. Consumer perception and limited familiarity with microalgae-based foods also contribute to slower market adoption. Therefore, although microalgae represent a promising and sustainable food resource, overcoming technological, economic, and sensory barriers is essential for their broader integration into the food industry and for achieving successful market consolidation.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is an aggressive and metastatic tumor, resulting in high mortality rates. Despite significant advances in therapeutics, the available treatments still require improvements. Thus, purinergic signaling emerged as a potential pathway to cancer therapy due to its involvement in cell communication, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In addition, due to safety and acceptable clinical tolerability, carotenoids from microalgae have been investigated as adjuvants in anti-melanoma therapy. Then, this work aimed to investigate the in vitro anti-melanogenic effect of carotenoid extract (CA) and total biomass (BM) of the Scenedesmus obliquus microalgae on two cutaneous melanoma cell lines (A375 and B16F10). Cells were cultivated under ideal conditions and treated with 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM of CA or BM for 24 h. The effects of the compounds on viability, oxidant status, and purinergic signaling were verified. The IC50 cell viability results showed that CA and BM decreased B16F10 viability at 24.29 μM and 74.85 μM, respectively and decreased A375 viability at 73.93 μM and 127.80 μM, respectively. Carotenoid treatment for 24 h in B16F10 and A375 cells increased the release of reactive oxygen species compared to the control. In addition, CA and BM isolated or combined with cisplatin chemotherapy (CIS) modulated the purinergic system in B16F10 and A375 cell lines through P2X7, A2AR, CD39, and 5′-nucleotidase. They led to cell apoptosis and immunoregulation by activating A2A receptors and CD73 inhibition. The results disclose that CA and BM from Scenedesmus obliquus exhibit an anti-melanogenic effect, inhibiting melanoma cell growth.