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Fernandes R, Campos J, Serra M, Fidalgo J, Almeida H, Casas A, Toubarro D, Barros AIRNA. Exploring the Benefits of Phycocyanin: From Spirulina Cultivation to Its Widespread Applications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040592. [PMID: 37111349 PMCID: PMC10144176 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Large-scale production of microalgae and their bioactive compounds has steadily increased in response to global demand for natural compounds. Spirulina, in particular, has been used due to its high nutritional value, especially its high protein content. Promising biological functions have been associated with Spirulina extracts, mainly related to its high value added blue pigment, phycocyanin. Phycocyanin is used in several industries such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, which increases its market value. Due to the worldwide interest and the need to replace synthetic compounds with natural ones, efforts have been made to optimize large-scale production processes and maintain phycocyanin stability, which is a highly unstable protein. The aim of this review is to update the scientific knowledge on phycocyanin applications and to describe the reported production, extraction, and purification methods, including the main physical and chemical parameters that may affect the purity, recovery, and stability of phycocyanin. By implementing different techniques such as complete cell disruption, extraction at temperatures below 45 °C and a pH of 5.5-6.0, purification through ammonium sulfate, and filtration and chromatography, both the purity and stability of phycocyanin have been significantly improved. Moreover, the use of saccharides, crosslinkers, or natural polymers as preservatives has contributed to the increased market value of phycocyanin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Fernandes
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Joana Campos
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Mónica Serra
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Javier Fidalgo
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Hugo Almeida
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- UCIBIO (Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences), REQUIMTE (Rede de Química e Tecnologia), MEDTECH (Medicines and Healthcare Products), Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Casas
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Duarte Toubarro
- CBA and Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus No 13, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Ana I R N A Barros
- Mesosystem, Rua da Igreja Velha 295, 4410-160 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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Chen H, Qi H, Xiong P. Phycobiliproteins-A Family of Algae-Derived Biliproteins: Productions, Characterization and Pharmaceutical Potentials. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20070450. [PMID: 35877743 PMCID: PMC9318637 DOI: 10.3390/md20070450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are colored and water-soluble biliproteins found in cyanobacteria, rhodophytes, cryptomonads and cyanelles. They are divided into three main types: allophycocyanin, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin, according to their spectral properties. There are two methods for PBPs preparation. One is the extraction and purification of native PBPs from Cyanobacteria, Cryptophyta and Rhodophyta, and the other way is the production of recombinant PBPs by heterologous hosts. Apart from their function as light-harvesting antenna in photosynthesis, PBPs can be used as food colorants, nutraceuticals and fluorescent probes in immunofluorescence analysis. An increasing number of reports have revealed their pharmaceutical potentials such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects. The advances in PBP biogenesis make it feasible to construct novel PBPs with various activities and produce recombinant PBPs by heterologous hosts at low cost. In this review, we present a critical overview on the productions, characterization and pharmaceutical potentials of PBPs, and discuss the key issues and future perspectives on the exploration of these valuable proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxin Chen
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China;
- Correspondence:
| | - Hongtao Qi
- School of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China;
| | - Peng Xiong
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China;
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Sivasankari S, Vinoth M, Ravindran D, Baskar K, Alqarawi AA, Abd Allah EF. Efficacy of red light for enhanced cell disruption and fluorescence intensity of phycocyanin. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2020; 44:141-150. [PMID: 32886233 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-020-02430-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this study, red LED and urea used as light and nitrogen sources, respectively, for the cultivation of Spirulina to enhance the fluorescence property and purity of phycocyanin. Besides, there is a high concentration of phycocyanin leached out from red light (RL) grown cells than white light (WL) without cell disruption. This type of cultivation reduces the complexity of extraction methods and cost of the downstream process. The fluorescence intensity of C-PC enhanced while using red LEDs and purity ratio improved by single-step cation exchange chromatography. Phycocyanin from red-light-exposed culture exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity against bacteria. The hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of C-PC (93.7%) is higher than the WL cultures (88.8%). Phycocyanin from RL culture exhibited a strong antiproliferative activity (64.1%) against HeLa cancer cell line. The present study aims to analyze the influence of red light and urea on enhancing the phycocyanin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprakasam Sivasankari
- Department of Biology, Gandhigram Rural Institute-DU, Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, 624302, India.
| | - Mani Vinoth
- Research Department of Botany, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 620020, India
| | - David Ravindran
- Department of Biology, Gandhigram Rural Institute-DU, Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, 624302, India.
| | - Kathirvelu Baskar
- Department of Ecotoxicology and Genetic Toxicology, Ross Lifescience Pvt., Ltd., Pune, Maharastra, 411026, India.
| | - Abdulaziz A Alqarawi
- Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elsayed Fathi Abd Allah
- Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Lafarga T, Fernández-Sevilla JM, González-López C, Acién-Fernández FG. Spirulina for the food and functional food industries. Food Res Int 2020; 137:109356. [PMID: 33233059 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Humans are no strangers to the consumption of microalgae as already in the sixteenth century Spirulina was harvested from Lake Texcoco and consumed in markets in Tenochtitlan (today Mexico City). Nowadays, microalgae are being incorporated into many food formulations. Most of these use microalgae as a marketing strategy or as a colouring agent. However, Spirulina (and compounds derived thereof) show potential for being used as ingredients in the development of novel functional foods, which are one of the top trends in the food industry. Several human intervention studies demonstrated the potential of Spirulina for being used in the prevention or treatment of disorders related to metabolic syndrome. The aim of the current paper was to review current and potential applications of this microalga in the food and functional food industries. Health benefits associated with consuming Spirulina and/or some of the most important compounds derived from Spirulina were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Lafarga
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain.
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Radioprotective role of cyanobacterial phycobilisomes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2018; 1860:121-128. [PMID: 30465750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are thought to be responsible for pioneering dioxygen production and the so-called "Great Oxygenation Event" that determined the formation of the ozone layer and the ionosphere restricting ionizing radiation levels reaching our planet, which increased biological diversity but also abolished the necessity of radioprotection. We speculated that ancient protection mechanisms could still be present in cyanobacteria and studied the effect of ionizing radiation and space flight during the Foton-M4 mission on Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Spectral and functional characteristics of photosynthetic membranes revealed numerous similarities of the effects of α-particles and space flight, which both interrupted excitation energy transfer from phycobilisomes to the photosystems and significantly reduced the concentration of phycobiliproteins. Although photosynthetic activity was severely suppressed, the effect was reversible, and the cells could rapidly recover from the stress. We suggest that the actual existence and the uncoupling of phycobilisomes may play a specific role not only in photo-, but also in radioprotection, which could be crucial for the early evolution of Life on Earth.
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Stankova K, Savova G, Nikolov V, Boteva R. HSP90 Inhibitor Geldanamycin as a Radiation Response Modificator in Human Blood Cells. Dose Response 2015; 13:10.2203_dose-response.14-039.Stankova. [PMID: 26674599 PMCID: PMC4674165 DOI: 10.2203/dose-response.14-039.stankova] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone, involved in the folding, assembly, stabilization and activation of numerous proteins with unrelated amino acid sequences and functions. Geldanamycin (GA), a natural benzoquinone, can inhibit the chaperone activity of Hsp90. It has been shown that GA can produce superoxide anions and increase the intracellular oxidative stress, which, in addition to the direct inhibition of Hsp90, might also contribute to the modifying effects of the inhibitor on the early response in human mononuclear cells exposed to ionizing radiation. The present study shows that GA antagonizes the radiation-induced suppression on MnSOD and catalase, key enzymes of the radical scavenging systems. By significantly up-regulating catalase levels over the entire range of doses from 0.5 to 4 Gy, the inhibitor of Hsp90 exerted adaptive protection and modified the early radiation response of the human blood cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Stankova
- National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Georgi Sofiyski 3, Sofia1606, Bulgaria
| | - Gergana Savova
- National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Georgi Sofiyski 3, Sofia1606, Bulgaria
| | - Vladimir Nikolov
- National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Georgi Sofiyski 3, Sofia1606, Bulgaria
| | - Rayna Boteva
- National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Georgi Sofiyski 3, Sofia1606, Bulgaria
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Katsarska O, Zaharieva E, Aneva N, Savova G, Stankova K, Boteva R. The soluble receptor ST2 is positively associated with occupational exposure to radiation. Int J Radiat Biol 2015; 92:87-93. [PMID: 26634771 DOI: 10.3109/09553002.2016.1115135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Radiation exposure, besides the risk of cancer, may also increase the risk of non-cancer diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigates whether the soluble form of the ST2 receptor (sST2), an emerging prognostic marker in patients with CVD, can be used to monitor the CVD risk in individuals occupationally exposed to radiation. Materials and methods sST2 in blood plasma from 69 individuals, 45 workers from the nuclear industry and 24 controls, was analyzed using enzyme-linked assay (ELISA). Total antioxidant status (TAS) of blood plasma and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lymphocytes were determined by colorimetric and fluorescence assays. Results The data suggest a 5-fold increase in the number of subjects with sST2 levels above the clinical threshold and a 10-fold increase in the number of subjects with TAS levels outside the reference range in the exposed group when compared to the group of non-exposed individuals. The strongest up-regulation of TAS was measured in the group of younger workers with cumulative doses not exceeding 50 mSv. Conclusion The present study may represent an initial step towards the establishment of sST2 as a biomarker for CVD risk estimation in the context of radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olya Katsarska
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
| | - Elena Zaharieva
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
| | - Nevena Aneva
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
| | - Gergana Savova
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
| | - Katia Stankova
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
| | - Rayna Boteva
- a National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) , Sofia , Bulgaria
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Stankova K, Ivanova K, Nikolov V, Aneva N, Georgieva R, Boteva R. Proteasome inhibition protects human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from radiation-induced oxidative stress. Int J Radiat Biol 2013; 89:493-500. [DOI: 10.3109/09553002.2013.782451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Pentón-Rol G, Marín-Prida J, Pardo-Andreu G, Martínez-Sánchez G, Acosta-Medina EF, Valdivia-Acosta A, Lagumersindez-Denis N, Rodríguez-Jiménez E, Llópiz-Arzuaga A, López-Saura PA, Guillén-Nieto G, Pentón-Arias E. C-Phycocyanin is neuroprotective against global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in gerbils. Brain Res Bull 2011; 86:42-52. [PMID: 21669260 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Although the huge economic and social impact and the predicted incidence increase, neuroprotection for ischemic stroke remains as a therapeutically empty niche. In the present study, we investigated the rationale of the C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) treatment on global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in gerbils. We demonstrated that C-PC given either prophylactically or therapeutically was able to significantly reduce the infarct volume as assessed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and the neurological deficit score 24h post-stroke. In addition, C-PC exhibited a protective effect against hippocampus neuronal cell death, and significantly improved the functional outcome (locomotor behavior) and gerbil survival after 7 days of reperfusion. Malondialdehyde (MDA), peroxidation potential (PP) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) were assayed in serum and brain homogenates to evaluate the redox status 24h post-stroke. The treatment with C-PC prevented the lipid peroxidation and the increase of FRAP in both tissue compartments. These results suggest that the protective effects of C-PC are most likely due to its antioxidant activity, although its anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory properties reported elsewhere could also contribute to neuroprotection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the neuroprotective effect of C-PC in an experimental model of global cerebral I/R damage, and strongly indicates that C-PC may represent a potential preventive and acute disease modifying pharmacological agent for stroke therapy.
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