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Microalgae for Pigments and Cosmetics
Published in Sanjeet Mehariya, Shashi Kant Bhatia, Obulisamy Parthiba Karthikeyan, Algal Biorefineries and the Circular Bioeconomy, 2022
Nídia S. Caetano, Priscila S. Corrêa, Wilson G. de Morais Júnior, Gisela M. Oliveira, António A.A. Martins, Teresa M. Mata, Monique Branco-Vieira
The other important group of pigments, organized in supramolecular complexes called phycobilisomes, only found in cyanobacteria and in the stroma of chloroplast organelles of some microalgae phyla (such as Rhodophyta or Glucophyta), are phycobiliproteins, often called only as phycobilins, because their molecular structure is also open-chain tetrapyrrole chromophores (Cuellar-Bermudez et al., 2015). Like carotenoids, phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are accessory light-capturing molecules (Dolganyuk et al., 2020), capable of light-harvesting at distinct wavelengths of chlorophylls, increasing photosynthesis efficiency, and also extending species-adaptive skills by expanding its spectrum of sunlight absorption (Zilinskas and Greenwald, 1986). However, Luimstra et al. (2019) suggest that blue light, which is not absorbed by phycobilisomes, creates an imbalance between photosystem I and II, reducing the photosynthetic efficiency of cyanobacteria when in presence of this range of the light spectrum. Phycobilins have an active role in the photosynthetic processes, in syntony with chlorophylls, especially chlorophyll a, complementing the absorption of light in several wavelengths of the visible spectrum (450–650nm), depending on the microalgae characteristics and the light conditions of its natural habitat, so they are considered antennae-protein pigments (Cuellar-Bermudez et al., 2015; Khanra et al., 2018; Rammuni et al., 2019).
Algae: Role in Environment Safety
Published in Ali Pourhashemi, Sankar Chandra Deka, A. K. Haghi, Research Methods and Applications in Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2019
Rajeev Singh, Hema Joshi, Anamika Singh
Colloids such as alginates, carrageenan, or agars, were used since long. These polymers are either located in the cell walls or within the cell serving as a storage material. Marine algae mostly contain sulfated polysaccharides in their cell walls. Other polymers like cyanophycin, multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartic acid are also produced by cyanobacteria. Hydrocolloids: They are group of phycocolloid polymers. They include the alginates, carrageenans and agar. They together constitute the major industrial products derived from algae. Macro-algae are the raw materials for the hydrocolloids production however certain land plants can also produce polymers with similar properties. They are used in food and industrial products to thicken, emulsify, and stabilize. Hydrocolloids dissolve in warm water get liquefy and after cooling it forms gel, which is used for various applications.Ulvan: It is a group of polymers that can be extracted from the cell walls of green seaweeds of family ulvales. Ulvan are composed of repeating sequences of rhamnose, glucusonic acid, iduronic acid, xylose, and sulfate.Colorants: Carotenoids are produced by microalgae approximately 40 carotene and xanthophylls were isolated and characterized. Beta-carotene is found in almost all algal spp as well as in other plants. Other carotenoid is canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lycopene. Phycobilins or phycobiliproteins are used as fluorescent markers in cell and molecular biology. They are water soluble accessory pigments. Phycobilins are also used as colorants for food and cosmetic products. Blue phycobilin obtained from Arthrospira is widely used as cosmetics color.
A review on microalgae biofuel and biorefinery: challenges and way forward
Published in Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2020
Lakhan Kumar, Navneeta Bharadvaja
The color of algal thallus which varies in different classes of algae is due to the presence of definite compounds in the cells. These compounds are called pigments. They are categorized in three different classes-chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobillins or billiproteins (Cardozo et al. 2007). These are further categorized into several subclasses- Chlorphylls (a,b,c,d, and e), carotenoids (carotene, carotenoid acids, and xanthophylls) and phycobillins (phycocyanin and phycoerythrin). Astaxanthin, lutein, fucoxanthtin, β-Carotene etc., are of prime interest (Guedes, Amaro, and Malcata 2011). Phycobillins show hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties. Phycocyanin is widely applied as food colorant nutraceutical and in immunodiagnostic applications.
Algae and their growth requirements for bioenergy: a review
Published in Biofuels, 2021
Sharifah Najiha Badar, Masita Mohammad, Zeynab Emdadi, Zahira Yaakob
The three major classes of macroalgae are shown in Figure 2. The green algae are dominated by unicellular, freshwater species and only a few species occur in marine environments. The presence of chlorophyll a and b gives the characteristic green colour in green algae [30], as in green terrestrial plants [31]. Another type of macroalgae is brown algae [32], which mostly live in the marine environment. They are distinguished by the presence of the pigment fucoxanthin, which produces their olive-brown colour [33–35]. Red algal species are mostly marine species; only a few species live in fresh water. The phycoerythrin and phycocyanin pigments (phycobilins) give the red colour of these algae [34,36].