Biotechnological Potential of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids and Phycobiliproteins of Cyanobacterial Origin

Cyanobacteria are considered to be a potential source of novel bioactive compounds that are highly intriguing from biotechnological perspective. A number of bioactive compounds such as cyanotoxins, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), scytonemin, phycobiliproteins (PBPs), phytohormones etc. have been reported from diverse group of cyanobacteria that show assorted biological activities ranging from antioxidants, antibiotics, anticancer, antiviral to antiinflamatory action. The synthesis of UV-absorbing/screening compounds (MAAs) as well as phycobiliproteins (PBPs) from cyanobacteria is of particular interest as promising biomolecules that may be biotechnologically exploited in various pharmaceutical industries with significant biomedical research. The accessory light-harvesting pigments, PBPs are hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and can act as fluorescent neoglycoproteins probe. It can also serve as natural colorants in food and cosmetics industries. MAAs has been shown to play a significant role in skin protection from UV-B-irradiation and hence, can be a suitable candidate in the cosmetic industries for the development of natural UV sunscreens. The present review discusses biotechnological potential of MAAs as well as PBPs from cyanobacteria.