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Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2024Currently, the use of synthetic pigments in foods is restricted since synthetic pigments are proven and suspected to be harmful to human health. Phycobiliproteins...
Currently, the use of synthetic pigments in foods is restricted since synthetic pigments are proven and suspected to be harmful to human health. Phycobiliproteins (PBPs), existed in phycobilisomes (PBSs) of algae, are a kind of pigment-proteins with intense color. The specific color of PBPs (red and blue) is given by the water-soluble open-chained tetrapyrrole chromophore (phycobilin) that covalently attaches to the apo-protein thioether linkages to cysteine residues. According to the spectral characteristics of PBPs, they can be categorized as phycoerythrins (PEs), phycocyanins (PCs), allophycocyanins (APCs), and phycoerythrocyanins (PECs). PBPs can be used as natural food colorants, fluorescent substances, and bioactive ingredients in food applications owing to their color characteristics and physiological activities. This paper mainly summarizes the extraction and purification methods of the PBPs and reviews their characteristics and applications. Moreover, the use of several strategies such as additives, microencapsulation, electrospray, and cross-linking to improve the stability and bioavailability of PBPs as well as the future outlooks of PBPs as natural colorants in food commercialization are elucidated.
Topics: Humans; Phycobiliproteins; Food Coloring Agents; Coloring Agents
PubMed: 36193900
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2128714 -
Anticancer Research Oct 2022Photosynthesis is the basis of almost all life on Earth. In addition to providing energy, plants and algae provide a plethora of secondary substances useful in the... (Review)
Review
Photosynthesis is the basis of almost all life on Earth. In addition to providing energy, plants and algae provide a plethora of secondary substances useful in the treatment of a number of illnesses including a wide array of cancer maladies. The first organisms on Earth used chemosynthesis for their energy needs. Photosynthetic bacteria utilize one of two different photosystems whereas cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae and plants combine two photosystems in a linear electron transport chain. Accessory pigments such as various chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobilins absorb the energy of impinging photons and funnel it to the reaction centers (P680 in photosystem II and P700 in photosystem I). Water is split photochemically, electrons are transported to reduce NADPH, oxygen is discarded as waste product, and protons accumulate inside the thylakoid vesicles in the chloroplasts. The resulting electrochemical gradient across the membrane is used to drive an ATPase. The produced ATP and NADPH+H are utilized in the Calvin cycle to fix CO and to produce fructose.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Adenosine Triphosphate; Carbon Dioxide; Carotenoids; Electron Transport; Fructose; NADP; Oxygen; Photosynthesis; Photosystem I Protein Complex; Photosystem II Protein Complex; Phycobilins; Protons; Water
PubMed: 36191985
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.16012 -
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Jan 2023Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a constitutive chromoprotein of Arthrospira platensis, which exhibits promising efficacy against different types of cancer. In this study, we...
Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a constitutive chromoprotein of Arthrospira platensis, which exhibits promising efficacy against different types of cancer. In this study, we cleaved C-PC's chromophore phycocyanobilin (PCB) and demonstrated its ability as an anti-cancer drug for Colorectal cancer (CRC). PCB displayed an anti-cancer effect for CRC (HT-29) cells with IC50 of 108 µg/ml. Assessing the transcripts levels of some biomarkers revealed that the PCB caused an upregulation in the anti-metastatic gene NME1 level and downregulation of the COX-2 level. The flow cytometric results showed the effect of PCB on the arrest of the cell cycle's G1 phase. In addition, we successfully synthesized the UiO-66 (Zr-MOF). We incorporated the PCB into UiO-66 nanoparticles with a loading percentage of 46 %. Assessment of the cytotoxic effects of UiO-66@PCB showed a 2-fold improvement in the IC50 compared to the free PCB. In conclusion, we have shown that PCB displayed a promising potential as an anti-cancer agent. Yet, it is considered a safe and natural substance that can help to mitigate cancer spread and symptoms. In the meantime, UiO-66 can be used as a safe nano-delivery tool for PCB.
Topics: Humans; Phycocyanin; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Phycobilins; Antineoplastic Agents; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36087776
DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2022.08.038 -
Marine Drugs Jul 2022Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are colored and water-soluble biliproteins found in cyanobacteria, rhodophytes, cryptomonads and cyanelles. They are divided into three main... (Review)
Review
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.
Topics: Cryptophyta; Cyanobacteria; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Phycobiliproteins; Phycoerythrin; Rhodophyta
PubMed: 35877743
DOI: 10.3390/md20070450 -
Communications Biology Jul 2022Cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus play a key role as primary producers and drivers of the global carbon cycle in temperate and tropical oceans. Synechococcus use...
Cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus play a key role as primary producers and drivers of the global carbon cycle in temperate and tropical oceans. Synechococcus use phycobilisomes as photosynthetic light-harvesting antennas. These contain phycoerythrin, a pigment-protein complex specialized for absorption of blue light, which penetrates deep into open ocean water. As light declines with depth, Synechococcus photo-acclimate by increasing both the density of photosynthetic membranes and the size of the phycobilisomes. This is achieved with the addition of phycoerythrin units, as demonstrated in laboratory studies. In this study, we probed Synechococcus populations in an oligotrophic water column habitat at increasing depths. We observed morphological changes and indications for an increase in phycobilin content with increasing depth, in summer stratified Synechococcus populations. Such an increase in antenna size is expected to come at the expense of decreased energy transfer efficiency through the antenna, since energy has a longer distance to travel. However, using fluorescence lifetime depth profile measurement approach, which is applied here for the first time, we found that light-harvesting quantum efficiency increased with depth in stratified water column. Calculated phycobilisome fluorescence quantum yields were 3.5% at 70 m and 0.7% at 130 m. Under these conditions, where heat dissipation is expected to be constant, lower fluorescence yields correspond to higher photochemical yields. During winter-mixing conditions, Synechococcus present an intermediate state of light harvesting, suggesting an acclimation of cells to the average light regime through the mixing depth (quantum yield of ~2%). Given this photo-acclimation strategy, the primary productivity attributed to marine Synechococcus should be reconsidered.
Topics: Photosynthesis; Phycobilisomes; Phycoerythrin; Synechococcus; Water
PubMed: 35869258
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03677-2 -
Journal of Immunology Research 2022Phycocyanobilin (PCB) is a linear open-chain tetrapyrrole chromophore that captures and senses light and a variety of biological activities, such as anti-oxidation,... (Review)
Review
Phycocyanobilin (PCB) is a linear open-chain tetrapyrrole chromophore that captures and senses light and a variety of biological activities, such as anti-oxidation, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory. In this paper, the biological activities of PCB are reviewed, and the related mechanism of PCB and its latest application in disease treatment are introduced. PCB can resist oxidation by scavenging free radicals, inhibiting the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, and delaying the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, PCB can also be used as an excellent anti-inflammatory agent to reduce the proinflammatory factors IL-6 and IFN- and to up-regulate the production of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by inhibiting the inflammatory signal pathways NF-B and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Due to the above biological activities of phycocyanobilin PCB, it is expected to become a new effective drug for treating various diseases, such as COVID-19 complications, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and ischaemic stroke (IS).
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Brain Ischemia; Humans; MAP Kinase Signaling System; NADPH Oxidases; NF-kappa B; Phycobilins; Phycocyanin; Spirulina
PubMed: 35726224
DOI: 10.1155/2022/4008991 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Increased anthropogenic nutrient loading has led to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, which is the major cause of harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Element stoichiometry...
Increased anthropogenic nutrient loading has led to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, which is the major cause of harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Element stoichiometry of cyanobacteria bloom is subject to nutrient availabilities and may significantly contribute to primary production and biogeochemical cycling. Phycobilisome is the antenna of the photosynthetic pigment apparatus in cyanobacteria, which contains phycobilin pigments (PBPs) and linker proteins. This nitrogen (N)-rich protein complex has the potential to support growth as a N-storage site and may play a major role in the variability of cyanobacteria N stoichiometry. However, the regulation of PBPs during bloom formation remains unclear. We investigated the temporal variation of N allocation into PBPs and element stoichiometry for two ubiquitous cyanobacteria species, and , in a batch culture experiment with different initial N availabilities. Our results indicated that the N allocation into PBPs is species-dependent and tightly regulated by the availability of nutrients fueling population expansion. During the batch culture experiment, different nutrient uptake rates led to distinct stoichiometric imbalances of N and phosphorus (P), which substantially altered cyanobacteria C: N and C: P stoichiometry. invested cellular N into PBPs and exhibited greater flexibility in C: N and C: P stoichiometry than . The dynamics of such N-rich macromolecules may help explain the N stoichiometry variation during a bloom and the interspecific difference between and . Our study provides a quantitative understanding of the elemental stoichiometry and the regulation of PBPs for non-diazotrophic and diazotrophic cyanobacteria blooms.
PubMed: 35722313
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.850997 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Nov 2022Owing to the increase of pollutant sources in oceans, seas, and lakes, there is an expected effect on growth and metabolism of planktonic algae which are considered...
Owing to the increase of pollutant sources in oceans, seas, and lakes, there is an expected effect on growth and metabolism of planktonic algae which are considered primary producers in the ecosystem. Therefore, it becomes urgent to carry out laboratory studies to test to what extent these pollutants can affect the growth of algae which is necessary as a food for marine fishes. Spirulina is considered the most important algal species due to its high nutritional value for humans and animals. Therefore, this work investigated the effect of different concentrations of Ni, Zn, and Cu metal ion pollutants on growth of the blue-green alga Spirulina platensis. EC50 was identified to be around 2 mg/l for the three heavy metals. The suitability of Idku Lake for Spirulina platensis growth was investigated using multi-criteria spatial modeling integrated with remotely sensed data processing. Spatial distribution maps of turbidity, water nutrients, and phytoplankton were the input criteria used to assess Idku Lake's suitability. The results obtained proved that low concentrations of the tested heavy metals stimulated growth and pigment fractions (chlorophyll a, carotenoids, and total phycobilins content) but to different degrees. The inhibitory effect was more prominent in the case of copper ions than zinc and nickel ions with all concentrations used. The overall suitability map of Spirulina platensis in Idku Lake showed that the whole lake is suitable for growth and proliferation except for the northwestern corner due to the high salinity levels. The present paper helps to understand the behavior of algae responding to environmental pollution, which supports environmental planners with the necessary baseline for investigating the fate of pollutants and the potential risk.
Topics: Humans; Carotenoids; Chlorophyll A; Copper; Ecosystem; Environmental Pollutants; Ions; Lakes; Metals, Heavy; Nickel; Phycobilins; Spirulina; Zinc
PubMed: 35705761
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21328-1 -
ACS Synthetic Biology Jun 2022Phycocyanobilin (PCB) is a kind of light-harvesting pigment which naturally exists in algae and plays important roles in absorbing and transferring energy. Based on its...
Phycocyanobilin (PCB) is a kind of light-harvesting pigment which naturally exists in algae and plays important roles in absorbing and transferring energy. Based on its antioxidant and optical properties, PCB has been applied in food, medicine, and cosmetics. Currently, PCB is mainly extracted from through complicated steps; thus, the biosynthesis of PCB in has attracted more attention. However, due to the lower catalytic efficiency of synthetic enzymes and the deficiency of precursors and cofactors, the titer of PCB remains at a low level. Here, we report the efficient synthesis of PCB by the expression of heme oxygenase-1 from and PCB: ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PcyA) from sp. using a high-copy number plasmid with an inducible T7 promoter and the assembly of these two enzymes at a suitable ratio of 2:1 with DNA scaffolds. Additionally, the synthesis of PCB was further enhanced by direct supplementation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), moderate overexpression of key enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway ( and ), and accelerated cycle of cofactors (NADPH) through the expression of NAD kinase and the addition of a reducing agent. Finally, based on the optimal conditions (Modified R medium with 200 mg/L ALA, 20 mg/L FeSO·7HO, and 5 g/L vitamin C induced by 0.8 mM isopropylthio-β-galactoside at 30 °C), the highest reported titer of PCB (28.32 mg/L) was obtained at the fermenter level by feeding glucose and FeSO·7HO. The strategies applied in this study will be useful for the synthesis of other natural pigments and PCB or heme derivatives in .
Topics: Escherichia coli; Heme; Metabolic Engineering; Phycobilins; Phycocyanin
PubMed: 35580338
DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00016 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2023is an edible Cyanobacterium which has high nutritional value and is widely used in dietary supplements and therapeutic products. contains protein, fatty acid, minerals... (Review)
Review
is an edible Cyanobacterium which has high nutritional value and is widely used in dietary supplements and therapeutic products. contains protein, fatty acid, minerals and vitamins. Its polysaccharides, phycobilin, phycobiliproteins and some lipids are highly bioactive. Thus, possesses anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and cholesterol reducing functions. This paper reviews and evaluates the literature on nutritionally and functionally important compounds of . It also reviews and evaluates the processing of used to process from fresh harvest to dry particulates including pretreatment, sterilization and drying, including their impact on sensorial and nutritional values. This review shows that a suitable combination of ultrasound, radio frequency and pulse spouted microwave with traditional sterilization and drying technologies greatly improves the sensorial and nutritive quality of processed and improves their shelf life; however, further research is needed to evaluate these hybrid technologies. Once suitably processed, can be used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical drugs as an ingredient.
Topics: Nostoc; Dietary Supplements; Cholesterol; Desiccation
PubMed: 35416723
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2063251