Bio-regulatory Functions of Biliproteins and Phycobilins from Algae

Rhodophyta, Cyanobacteria or other algae contain phycobiliproteins as light-harvesting components for photosynthesis. The bio-regulatory functions of the proteins or their chromophores are introduced. It has been shown that both proteins and chromophores effectively quench various active oxygen species in vivo and in vitro. Phycoerythrobilin and phycocyanobilin, corresponding to the chromophores of phycoerythrin and phycocyanin, respectively, were mainly responsible for antioxidant activities of the chromoproteins while phycocyanin has anti-inflammatory activity partly due to its specific cyclooxigenase 2 inhibitory property of its apoprotein. Phycocyanobilin also suppressed platelet aggregation induced by both collagen and ADP.