Antioxidant activity of phycocyanin pigment extracted from marine filamentous cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp TRV57

Phycocyanin is a blue colored naturally existing phycobiliprotein pigment, which is abundant in cyanobacteria, a blue green algae. In this study, phycocyanin was extracted from the Geitlerinema sp. TRV57. The extracted pigment was assessed for their antioxidant property by various methods such as Phosphomolybdenum assay, Ferric ions reducing power assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity, Hydrogen peroxide free radical scavenging assay, Anti-lipid peroxidation activity. These assays revealed appreciable antioxidant activity of phycocyanin. At a concentration of 200 µg/mL, the phycocyanin exhibited a maximum absorbance of 0.49 by phosphomolybdenum assay, 0.85 absorbance by ferric ion reducing assay, 78.75% of DPPH scavenging activity, 95.27% of H2O2 scavenging activity. The IC50 value of phycocyanin was found to be 185 µg/mL for Anti-lipid peroxidation assay. The study reveals that the phycocyanin pigments possess antioxidant property and it can be used as a promising pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compound.