Production and Applications of Cyanobacterial Phycocyanin: Trends and Prospects

C-Phycocyanin (C-PC), is a natural blue pigment found mainly in cyanobacteria. Due to its extraordinary spectral properties and unique health benefits, this pigment has attracted significant attention in various industries. C-PC is widely studied and reported to have different pharmacological properties, notably antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. Commercial exploitation of cyanobacterial phycocyanin relies on mass cultivation of selected cyanobacteria using different strategies like phototrophic, heterotrophic, mixotrophic, two-stage, open, and closed systems. Nonetheless, the production is influenced by different environmental factors especially light, pH and temperature as well as the availability of high yielding strains. Some of the bottlenecks like breaking the genetic barrier of sub-optimal yield or response to environmental factors can be addressed by genetic and metabolic engineering using advanced molecular tools. The present review discusses the production and application of C-PC along with possible molecular interventions to improve C-PC production. We have also discussed how strain improvement and diversified application can harness the commercial potential of C-PC in future to a greater extent.