Phycocyanin from Microalgae: Properties, Extraction and Purification, with Some Recent Applications

Phycocyanin is a non-toxic, water-soluble pigment protein from microalgae that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. In addition to these health benefits, this pigment has been used in dietary nutritional supplements and natural colorant applications in the food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and biotechnology industries. This paper highlights some functional properties and non-pharmaceutical industrial applications of phycocyanin, as well as the downstream processes required to obtain this biomolecule from microalgal biomass and potential future perspectives in the nanotechnology field.