Production of C‐phycocyanin and its potential applications

Algae contain a wide range of pigments including fluorescent protein such as phycobiliproteins. C-phycocyanin (a phycobiliprotein) is one of the key pigments of the microalga Spirulina, which is used as a dietary supplement in many countries. Moreover, algal pigments have substantial commercial value as natural colorants in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, along with their health benefits. C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is commonly used as natural dyes in food and cosmetics and replaces synthetic dyes. The cyanobacteria viz. Spirulina has been commercialized in several countries for its use as a health food and for therapeutic purposes. Due to harmful effects of synthetic compounds/dyes, the community tends toward the use of natural products, which led to exploitation of algae as a source of natural pigments/compounds. In the present chapter, we elucidated the sources and production of C-PC along with its potential industrial applications.