The production of B-phycoerythrin (B-PE) from the red microalga Porphyridium marinum was optimized before to purify it and subsequently study its antioxidant activities. NaNO3, K2HPO4 and metal traces concentrations of the culture medium, and luminosity parameters were chosen, according to the Plackett-Burman design, as the most influent factors on the B-PE production by P. marinum. The optimization of these factors according to the Box-Behnken plan gave a maximum of B-PE production equal to 40 mg/g dry weight under the following conditions: NaNO3 = 3.4 g/L; K2HPO4 = 0 g/L; light intensity = 70 μmol photons/m2/s and metal solution = 1.5 mL/L. The B-PE also showed an interesting capacity to chelate Fe3+ (IC50 = 13.91 ± 0.21 μg/mL) and a significant reducing power (OD700nm = 0.485 ± 0.011 at 100 μg/mL). The present study reports the antioxidant potential of purified B-PE from P. marinum that could be potentially used as a source of bioactive protein for a wide range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.
Keywords: Antioxidant activities; B-phycoerythrin; Optimization; Porphyridium; Red microalgae.
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