Chapter 23
Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical
Applications of Phycobiliproteins
Emmanuel Manirafasha, Li Guo, and Keju Jing
Abstract For eradication of current pressing human health challenges including
the chronic disease, there is a need for microalgae exploitation. Microalgal resources
have various advantageous and potentials associated with their products and properties. Microalgae including cyanobacteria are considered as a promising, prominent, and sustainable source of enormous novel bioactive compounds including
nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products such as phycobiliproteins. Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are water-soluble pigments with widespread biotechnological applications due to their mesmerizing physicochemical properties. Phycobiliproteins can
be classified into three categories based on some properties: phycoerythrin (PE),
phycocyanin (PC), allophycocyanin (APC). Microalgal phycobiliproteins, especially
phycocyanin, have commercial and industrial applications due to their primary functions including nutraceutical and therapeutic values (due to their pharmacology
and biological activities including anticarcinogenic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory
activities, as well as, protective effect against various conditions), over-the-top fluorescent properties (high quantum yield, high Stokes shift, and an essential insensitivity to quenching), and natural colorants. This chapter focuses on highlighting
and describing the microalgal phycobiliproteins potentials and modern technologies
regarding their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
Keywords Microalgae exploitation · Nutraceuticals · Pharmaceuticals · Pigments
E. Manirafasha · L. Guo · K. Jing (B)
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The Key Lab for Synthetic Biotechnology
of Xiamen City, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen
361005, China
e-mail: jkj@xmu.edu.cn
E. Manirafasha
e-mail: meonb2003@gmail.com
E. Manirafasha
University of Rwanda-College of Education, 5039 Kigali, Rwanda
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Pigments from Microalgae Handbook,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50971-2_23
575
Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical
Applications of Phycobiliproteins
Emmanuel Manirafasha, Li Guo, and Keju Jing
Abstract For eradication of current pressing human health challenges including
the chronic disease, there is a need for microalgae exploitation. Microalgal resources
have various advantageous and potentials associated with their products and properties. Microalgae including cyanobacteria are considered as a promising, prominent, and sustainable source of enormous novel bioactive compounds including
nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products such as phycobiliproteins. Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are water-soluble pigments with widespread biotechnological applications due to their mesmerizing physicochemical properties. Phycobiliproteins can
be classified into three categories based on some properties: phycoerythrin (PE),
phycocyanin (PC), allophycocyanin (APC). Microalgal phycobiliproteins, especially
phycocyanin, have commercial and industrial applications due to their primary functions including nutraceutical and therapeutic values (due to their pharmacology
and biological activities including anticarcinogenic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory
activities, as well as, protective effect against various conditions), over-the-top fluorescent properties (high quantum yield, high Stokes shift, and an essential insensitivity to quenching), and natural colorants. This chapter focuses on highlighting
and describing the microalgal phycobiliproteins potentials and modern technologies
regarding their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
Keywords Microalgae exploitation · Nutraceuticals · Pharmaceuticals · Pigments
E. Manirafasha · L. Guo · K. Jing (B)
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The Key Lab for Synthetic Biotechnology
of Xiamen City, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen
361005, China
e-mail: jkj@xmu.edu.cn
E. Manirafasha
e-mail: meonb2003@gmail.com
E. Manirafasha
University of Rwanda-College of Education, 5039 Kigali, Rwanda
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Pigments from Microalgae Handbook,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50971-2_23
575