ABSTRACT
In the present study, blue light absorbing pigment protein phycoerythrin (PE) is purified up to molecular grade purity from marine Halomicronema sp. R31DM. The purification method is based on the use of non-ionic detergent Triton-X 100 in ammonium sulphate precipitation. The purified PE is characterized for its antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. PE is noted to show substantial in vitro antioxidant activity probed by various biochemical assays. The PE moderated rise in the intracellular-ROS (reactive oxygen species) in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans upon heat and oxidative stress. Further, the antioxidant asset of PE is noted an expedient in averting the ROS associated abnormalities, i.e. impaired physiological behaviour (health span) and aging in C. elegans. The structural attributes of PE contributing to its antioxidant virtue are analysed; the presence of ample residues having antioxidant activity and chromophore-PEB in PE are identified as a source of its antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the stability of PE is assessed under three physico-chemical stresses, temperature, pH and oxidative stress.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Caenorhabditis elegans/drug effects , Halobacteriaceae/chemistry , Phycoerythrin/chemistry , Animals , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Caenorhabditis elegans/growth & development , Hot Temperature , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Phycoerythrin/isolation & purification , Phycoerythrin/pharmacology , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolismABSTRACT
The cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. R42DM, isolated from an industrially polluted site Vatva, Gujarat, India was recognized to produce phycocyanin (PC) as major phycobiliprotein. In present study, the combinatorial approach of chemical and physical methods i.e. Triton-X 100 treatment and ultra-sonication was designed for extraction of PC. From cell extract, the intact and functional-PC was purified up to purity 4.03 by ammonium sulphate fractionation and ion-exchange chromatography. The PC displayed considerable in vitro antioxidant and radical-scavenging activity. This PC was further noticed to scavenge intracellular-ROS and to increase tolerance against thermal and oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. Moreover, the PC was noticed to improve the physiological behaviour and longevity of C. elegans. In addition, the PC showed remarkable stability under physico-chemical stressors, which is desirable for their use in biomedical applications. In conclusion, present paper added up evidence in support of the prospective use of PC as an antioxidant nutraceutical.
