Transcriptionomic Study on Apoptosis of SKOV-3 Cells Induced by Phycoerythrin from Gracilaria lemaneiformis

Prospects of phycoerythrin: Structural features, antioxidation and applications in food

Phycoerythrin (PE) is a naturally occurring plant protein of algal origin. The colour, bioactivity and stability of PE are inextricably linked to its structure. PE has powerful antioxidant properties that effectively prevent oxidative stress and cellular damage, for which the chromophore structure plays a key role. However, the relationship between the chromophore and thermal stability is unclear in PE. The environmental factors affecting the thermal stability of PE are mainly light, high temperature and extreme pH. PE stability can be enhanced through various techniques, including the incorporation of additives, cross-linking processes, and the formation of complexes. Improving the stability of PE is of significant importance for its applications within the food industry. This paper outlines the structural characteristics of PE, discusses the relationship between its structure and antioxidant activity, and focuses on the application of PE in the food industry, as well as the factors affecting its stability and strategies for its improvement.

Comparison of Production and Fluorescence Characteristics of Phycoerythrin from Three Strains of Porphyridium

Phycoerythrin, a special photosynthetic pigment, is widely used as fluorescent dye and has lots of underlying beneficial effects on health. A marine red microalga Porphyridium is considered as the potential feedstock for phycoerythrin production. However, the phycoerythrin-related properties of Porphyridium have not been systematically evaluated, especially between the species of P. cruentum and P. purpureum. The present study aimed to evaluate the production and fluorescence characteristics of phycoerythrin of three strains of Porphyridium. The results showed that P. purpureum SCS-02 presented the highest biomass, phycoerythrin content and yield were 6.43 g L⁻¹, 9.18% DW and 0.288 g L⁻¹, respectively. There was no significant difference between P. purpureum and P. cruentum in α and β subunits amino acid sequences of phycoerythrin and in fluorescence characteristics. The high gene expression level of the key enzymes in phycoerythrobilin synthesis (porphobilinogen synthase and oxygen-dependent coproporphyrinogen-III oxidase) could be related to the high phycoerythrin content of Porphyridium. Based on systematic evaluation, P. purpureum SCS-02 was selected due to its high biomass and phycoerythrin yield. P. purpureum and P. cruentum were highly similar in the phylogenetic tree, as well as in fluorescence characteristics; therefore, it was speculated that they might be the same Porphyridium species.

Phycobiliproteins: Structural aspects, functional characteristics, and biotechnological perspectives

Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are fluorescent proteins of various colors, including fuchsia, purple-blue and cyan, that allow the capture of light energy in auxiliary photosynthetic complexes called phycobilisomes (PBS). PBPs have several highly preserved structural and physicochemical characteristics. In the PBS context, PBPs function is capture luminous energy in the 450-650 nm range and delivers it to photosystems allowing photosynthesis take place. Besides the energy harvesting function, PBPs also have shown to have multiple biological activities, including antioxidant, antibacterial and antitumours, making them an interesting focus for different biotechnological applications in areas like biomedicine, bioenergy and scientific research. Nowadays, the main sources of PBPs are cyanobacteria and micro and macro algae from the phylum Rhodophyta. Due to the diverse biological activities of PBPs, they have attracted the attention of different industries, such as food, biomedical and cosmetics. This is why a large number of patents related to the production, extraction, purification of PBPs and their application as cosmetics, biopharmaceuticals or diagnostic applications have been generated, looking less ecological impact in the natural prairies of macroalgae and less culture time or higher productivity in cyanobacteria to satisfy the markets and applications that require high amounts of these molecules. In this review, we summarize the main structural characteristics of PBPs, their biosynthesys and biotechnological applications. We also address current trends and future perspectives of the PBPs market.