**6. Recent advances and technology**

The innovations take technology and techniques to sustain them. The betterment lies in the up-gradation of the recent technology and creating innovations in the current timeframe [12]. The more progressive the medication gets, the more effective it will become but more supplements are required to overcome the side effects [9]. Till now, no treatment has been found which is free of side effects [5]. The role of *Spirulina* is always vital and valued, even in space technology. The food additives like *Chlorella vulgaris* and *Spirulina pacifica* [28] their biomass production is used in several areas of biotechnology because of the bioactive molecules and composition that are beneficial. The primary and secondary metabolic products have found the place where they fits perfectly [19].

The bioactive elements have to cope with environmental stress, which stands out as a challenge. Some of the variant features are known and discovered and tested, while many are anonymous to the field till now [19]. The food industry, repair mechanisms, defense, etc. fields are very much flourishing but alterations and modifications cannot harm them [14]. The best way to use microalgae as a drug delivery system is fine, but combining it with nanotechnology can do wonders [98]. Nanotechnology promises a better future because of its compact size and dimensions and its adaptability to various metals and compounds, making it industrially and biologically acceptable and compatible [96]. The nanotubes or nanostructure can be successfully engineered and incorporated with other treatments [99]. Already, nanotechnology is working with various diseases and treatments. This combination can lead to better innovations and the betterment of humanity without even hampering nature [98].

At present, Nanotechnology is the leading technology that has evolved with time and is considered to be the best one to cure malignancy at a nanoscale level [99]. The biopolymer synthesized from carbon, platinum, and gold colloids can be taken up to cure the disease [100]. The nanorods prove to be beneficial for small tumors [9] as well as various sizes and morphologies of nanoparticles can be directly incorporated into the treatment [98]. The biological synthesis of the nanoparticle is not a complex phenomenon because no reducing, as well as capping agents, are involved. Instead, the bioactive compounds present in microalgae themselves act as strong reducing and capping agents leading to the synthesis of nanoparticles [100]. Sometimes both reducing, as well as capping agents, could also be added as a reactant to form the

*Exploring the Anti-cancer Potential of Microalgae DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104831*

**Figure 2.**

*Schematic representation of nanoparticle synthesis from algae.*

desired and most efficacious products. The reducing agent can be sodium citrate, sodium borohydride, or ascorbic acid, and the capping agent could be polymers like polyvinyl chloride, thiols, or citrate [98, 97]. The passivating agent is to prevent aggregation and promotes nucleation. The therapeutic molecule can also be kept inside the molecule synthesis so that it could target the tumor [28]. The schematic representation of nanoparticle synthesis from microalgae extracts is presented in **Figure 2**.

Microalgae have various biotechnological applications. There is a need to have supplements and capsules that could be consumed to prevent cancer and are also proved to be human-friendly [9]. The algal extracts could directly be incorporated into them just like we intake probiotics [101]. Rapid advancement in pharmaceutical and diagnostic technology allow rapid blood tests could detect malignancy on an early stage [96]. A recent study shows promising results with this concept, it is proven to be effective against a few cancer cells lines [9]. There should be an advancement in technology to cultivate microalgae on a large scale without exploitation of nature, considering the ethical issue at top priority [9, 51]. People should be made aware of the benefits to humanity and the environment. Microalgae could be a gift and a curse to many issues be it environment, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical industries, etc. [102]. This is a nature's gift that is meant to cherished and protected [73, 103].
