The present research investigated the biological activities of zeaxanthin-enriched extract obtained from the microalgae Dunaliella salina. Pigment extraction was carried out using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) with five different solvent systems to obtain enriched fractions. The bioactive potential of the pigment was assessed through multiple assays. Antioxidant potential was measured using DPPH radical scavenging method, while antimicrobial efficacy was tested against selected pathogenic strains by resazurin dye. The anticancer potential of zeaxanthin-enriched extract was investigated by evaluating cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in tumor cell lines includes MDA-MB-231 (breast tumor) and A549 (lung tumor). Zeaxanthin-enriched pigment extract from D. salina (ZPDs) exhibited significant cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 242.077 μg/mL in MDA-MB-231 cells & 160.501 μg/mL for A549 cells. Overall, zeaxanthin-enriched extract from D. salina demonstrated notable antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer efficacy, highlighting its potential as a natural bioactive compound from therapeutic use. These results support its potential application in the development of nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Further research is recommended to scale up extraction and evaluate industrial feasibility.
Muthulakshmi et al. (2025) studied this question.