Journal Article

Production of phycocyanin—a pigment with applications in biology, biotechnology, foods and medicine

Eriksen, Niels T.

2008

Overview

C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is a blue pigment in cyanobacteria, rhodophytes and cryptophytes with fluorescent and antioxidative properties. C-PC is presently extracted from open pond cultures of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis although these cultures are not very productive and open for contaminating organisms. C-PC is considered a healthy ingredient in cyanobacterial-based foods and health foods while its colouring, fluorescent or antioxidant properties are utilised only to a minor extent. However, recent research and developments in C-PC synthesis and functionality have expanded the potential applications of C-PC in biotechnology, diagnostics, foods and medicine: The productivity of C-PC has been increased in heterotrophic, high cell density cultures of the rhodophyte Galdieria sulphuraria that are grown under well-controlled and axenic conditions. C-PC purification protocols based on various chromatographic principles or novel two-phase aqueous extraction methods have expanded in numbers and improved in performance. The functionality of C-PC as a fluorescent dye has been improved by chemical stabilisation of C-PC complexes, while protein engineering has also introduced increased stability and novel biospecific binding sites into C-PC fusion proteins. Finally, our understanding of the physiological functions of C-PC in humans has been improved by a mechanistic hypothesis that links the chemical properties of the phycocyanobilin chromophores of C-PC to the natural antioxidant, bilirubin, and may explain the observed health benefits of C-PC intake. This review outlines how C-PC is produced and utilised and discusses the novel C-PC synthesis procedures and applications.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aggregates / Algae / Animals / antioxidant activity / Antioxidants / Arthrospira platensis / Bilirubin / Binding sites / Biological and medical sciences / Biotechnology / Cell density / Chemical properties / chemistry / chromatography / Chromophores / Coloring / Cyanobacteria / Cyanobacteria - genetics / Cyanobacteria - metabolism / Cyanobacteria - radiation effects / diagnostic techniques / Drug Industry / Endangered & extinct species / fluorescence / Fluorescent dyes / Fluorescent indicators / Food / Food Microbiology / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Gene Expression Regulation / Genes / genetics / Germfree / health foods / Humans / Industrial Microbiology / ingredients / isolation & purification / Life Sciences / Medicine / metabolism / Microbial Genetics and Genomics / Microbiology / Mini-Review / Natural & organic foods / Nitrogen / Phycobiliproteins / Phycobiliproteins - metabolism / Phycocyanin / Phycocyanin - chemistry / Phycocyanin - genetics / Phycocyanin - isolation & purification / Phycocyanin - metabolism / Phycocyanobilin / Pigments / Protein engineering / Proteins / radiation effects / Rhodophyta / Rhodophyta - genetics / Rhodophyta - metabolism / Rhodophyta - radiation effects / Studies / Synthesis