Glucosidase Inhibitors Screening in Microalgae and Cyanobacteria Isolated from the Amazon and Proteomic Analysis of Inhibitor Producing Synechococcus sp. GFB01

Abstract

Microalgae and cyanobacteria are good sources for prospecting metabolites of biotechnological interest, including glucosidase inhibitors. These inhibitors act on enzymes related to various biochemical processes; they are involved in metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and Gaucher disease, tumors and viral infections, thus, they are interesting hubs for the development of new drugs and therapies. In this work, the screening of 63 environmental samples collected in the Brazilian Amazon found activity against β-glucosidase, of at least 60 min, in 13.85% of the tested extracts, with Synechococcus sp. GFB01 showing inhibitory activity of 90.2% for α-glucosidase and 96.9% against β-glucosidase. It was found that the nutritional limitation due to a reduction in the concentration of sodium nitrate, despite not being sufficient to cause changes in cell growth and photosynthetic apparatus, resulted in reduced production of α and β-glucosidase inhibitors and differential protein expression. The proteomic analysis of cyanobacteria isolated from the Amazon is unprecedented, with this being the first work to evaluate the protein expression of Synechococcus sp. GFB01 subjected to nutritional stress. This evaluation helps to better understand the metabolic responses of this organism, especially related to the production of inhibitors, adding knowledge to the industrial potential of these cyanobacterial compounds.

Naturally Occurring Functional Ingredient from Filamentous Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KC45: Phytochemical Characterizations and Their Multiple Bioactivities

“…In this study, the ethanolic extract of Leptolyngbya sp. KC45 inhibited the α-glucosidase enzyme with a IC 50 value of 5.47 mg/mL (207.24 mg-AE/g-extract) ( Figure 3 ), which is in line with the extracts (IC 50 = 0.01–50 mg/mL) from black legumes [ 123 ], shmar ( Arbutus pavarii Pamp) [ 124 ], guarana [ 125 ], and algae [ 126 ]. The high inhibitory activity against the α-glucosidase enzyme may be due to the high concentration and variety of phenolic chemicals found in the extract.…”

“…Similarly, along with their powerful antioxidant action, phenolic-rich samples have been shown to have a high potential for suppressing the activity of the α-glucosidase enzyme [ 124 ]. In addition, several studies have demonstrated that phytochemicals from plants and algae might be a rich natural supply of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are well-known for their significant hypoglycemic potential [ 126 , 127 ]. It is important to point out that the ethanolic extract obtained from Leptolyngbya sp.…”

Therapeutic Potentials of Microalgae and Their Bioactive Compounds on Diabetes Mellitus

“…A study comparing glucosidase inhibition among microalgae species isolated from the Amazon revealed that Synechococcus sp. had one of the highest glucosidase inhibitions, thus emerging as a potential anti-diabetic supplement [ 134 ]. In that context, the highest concentration of Synechococcus sp.…”

Cyanobacteria: A Promising Source of Antifungal Metabolites

“…Some bioproducts of cyanobacteria are dependent on the limitations of one or more nutrients [ 307 , 308 , 309 , 310 , 311 ]. For instance, the Scyto accumulation in S. ocellatum ATCC 55232 noticeably varies depending on the growing medium.…”