Phycocompounds from Cyanobacteria: Exploring Synergistic Effects with Conventional Anticancer and Antimicrobial...

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are an abundant source of structurally diverse and biologically active metabolites, including peptides (e.g., cryptophycins and microcystins), alkaloids (e.g., hapalindoles), and pigments (e.g., C-phycocyanin and scytonemin), many of which demonstrate promising anticancer and antimicrobial properties. This review highlights the therapeutic potentials of cyanobacterial-derived phycocompounds and outlines their biosynthesis, extraction, and characterization; extraction methods vary based on chemical properties. C-phycobiliproteins such as phycoerythrin and phycocyanin, being water-soluble, are typically extracted using aqueous methods. Cyanobacterial peptides and alkaloids are often isolated through acid-base extraction techniques. The characterization of these compounds was essential for understanding their structures, purity, and biological activity. Moreover, the analytical techniques commonly employed were high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Notably, several cyanobacterial metabolites have shown synergistic effects when combined with conventional chemotherapeutics (e.g., doxorubicin and cisplatin) and antibiotics (e.g., ampicillin and ciprofloxacin), thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy, reducing required doses, and mitigating resistance development. Ongoing studies on cyanobacterial peptides with antimicrobial and anticancer potential highlight their value in drug discovery and development. Their unique bioactivities render them promising candidates for next-generation therapeutics. Further research into cyanobacterial metabolites could facilitate the development of sustainable and innovative biomedical and biotechnological solutions.