AUTHOR=Kovaleski Gabriela , Kholany Mariam , Dias Lília M. S. , Correia Sandra F. H. , Ferreira Rute A. S. , Coutinho João A. P. , Ventura Sónia P. M. TITLE=Extraction and purification of phycobiliproteins from algae and their applications JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=10 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2022.1065355 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2022.1065355 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=

Microalgae, macroalgae and cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms, prokaryotic or eukaryotic, living in saline or freshwater environments. These have been recognized as valuable carbon sources, able to be used for food, feed, chemicals, and biopharmaceuticals. From the range of valuable compounds produced by these cells, some of the most interesting are the pigments, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins. Phycobiliproteins are photosynthetic light-harvesting and water-soluble proteins. In this work, the downstream processes being applied to recover fluorescent proteins from marine and freshwater biomass are reviewed. The various types of biomasses, namely macroalgae, microalgae, and cyanobacteria, are highlighted and the solvents and techniques applied in the extraction and purification of the fluorescent proteins, as well as their main applications while being fluorescent/luminescent are discussed. In the end, a critical perspective on how the phycobiliproteins business may benefit from the development of cost-effective downstream processes and their integration with the final application demands, namely regarding their stability, will be provided.