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Review
. 2021 Jan 27;11(2):91.
doi: 10.3390/life11020091.

Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis as Potential Anti-Cancer Drug: Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Steffen Braune  1 , Anne Krüger-Genge  2 , Sarah Kammerer  1 , Friedrich Jung  1 , Jan-Heiner Küpper  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis as Potential Anti-Cancer Drug: Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Steffen Braune et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

The application of cytostatic drugs or natural substances to inhibit cancer growth and progression is an important and evolving subject of cancer research. There has been a surge of interest in marine bioresources, particularly algae, as well as cyanobacteria and their bioactive ingredients. Dried biomass products of Arthrospira and Chlorella have been categorized as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Of particular importance is an ingredient of Arthrospira: phycocyanin, a blue-red fluorescent, water-soluble and non-toxic biliprotein pigment. It is reported to be the main active ingredient of Arthrospira and was shown to have therapeutic properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory and anti-cancer activities. In the present review, in vitro and in vivo data on the effects of phycocyanin on various tumor cells and on cells from healthy tissues are summarized. The existing knowledge of underlying molecular mechanisms, and strategies to improve the efficiency of potential phycocyanin-based anti-cancer therapies are discussed.

Keywords: Arthrospira platensis; cancer; drug; in vitro; in vivo; phycocyanin; tumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A,B) Representative phase contrast images of unfixed Arthrospira platensis (AP). (C) Orthogonal projection of a three-dimensional laser scanning microscopy image stack (47 single images) of AP. Label-free laser scanning microscopy of an unfixed sample. The sample was exited at a 555 nm wavelength. Emissions were detected between 650 nm and 700 nm. (D) Transmitted mode image of the same position. Images were taken at 100-fold primary magnification with an Axio Observer.Z1/7 (Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Jena, Germany).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of the reported molecular mechanisms of phycocyanin-induced anti-cancer activity.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The role of gene defects (e.g., BRCA) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition in the process of apoptosis. As an example, the repair of two independent single-strand breaks (or clustered single-strand breaks) is demonstrated (T = inhibited, X = blocked). ROS: reactive oxygen species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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