Use of Phycobiliproteins from Atacama Cyanobacteria as Food Colorants in a Dairy Beverage Prototype

Abstract

The interest of the food industry in replacing artificial dyes with natural pigments has grown recently. Cyanobacterial phycobiliproteins (PBPs), phycoerythrin (PE) and phycocyanin (PC), are colored water-soluble proteins that are used as natural pigments. Additionally, red PE and blue PC have antioxidant capabilities. We have formulated a new food prototype based on PBP-fortified skim milk. PBPs from Andean cyanobacteria were purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and freeze-drying. The stability of PE and PC was evaluated by changes in their absorption spectra at various pH (1–14) and temperature (0–80 °C) values. Purified PBPs showed chemical stability under pH values of 5 to 8 and at temperatures between 0 and 50 °C. The antioxidant property of PBP was confirmed by ABTS (2,2′-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical ion scavenging, and FRAP (Ferric Antioxidant Power) assays. The absence of PBP toxicity against Caenorhabditis elegans was confirmed up to 1 mg PBP/mL. Skim milk fortified with PE obtained a higher score after sensory tests. Thus, a functional food based on skim milk-containing cyanobacterial PBPs can be considered an innovative beverage for the food industry. PBPs were stable at an ultra-high temperature (138 °C and 4 s). PBP stability improvements by changes at its primary structure and the incorporation of freeze-dried PBPs into sachets should be considered as alternatives for their future commercialization.

Stability, kinetics, and application study of phycobiliprotein pigments extracted from red algae Gracilaria gracilis

“…Other studies have reported the incorporation of PE in food products (Galetovic et al., 2020; Jayasinghe et al., 2016; Sudhakar et al., 2014, 2015) but, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports in the incorporation of PE in bakery products. Jayasinghe et al.…”

“…PBPs have been used in food by incorporation in gelatin desserts, puddings, sourdough, and soft and dairy beverages, though its use needs to be further supported by toxicity testing (Chentir et al., 2019; Galetovic et al., 2020; Jayasinghe, Pahalawattaarachchi, & Ranaweera, 2016; Niccolai et al., 2019; Sudhakar, Jagatheesan, Perumal, & Arunkumar, 2015; Sudhakar, Saraswathi, & Nair, 2014). While in Europe there is no authorization for the use of PE as a food colorant or additive, in France and Asia C‐PCs extracted from Spirulina are authorized in foods such as ice creams, candies, and drinks (Dumay & Morançais, 2016; Fleurence, 2016).…”

Isolation of Industrial Important Bioactive Compounds From Microalgae: A Review

“…Another prominent colourant from the microalgae with commercial applications is phycobiliproteins, a water-soluble fluorescent pigment commonly present in cyanobacteria which can be classified as four major groups according to their colours and light absorption characteristics, namely, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and phycoerythrocyanin [129,130]. The phycobiliproteins were shown as a strong antioxidant which contributes to high-value nutraceutical product and its application in food mainly in dairy products, chewing gums, candy, beverage mixes and ready-to-eat cereals [131,132]. Besides being a functional ingredient and safe food colourant, this protein (eg.…”

Using a B-Phycoerythrin Extract as a Natural Colorant: Application in Milk-Based Products

“…Phycobiliproteins have been incorporated in desserts, puddings, sourdough, soft drinks, and dairy products, although their use needs to be further supported by toxicity testing. Moreover, additional research focusing on bioavailability and on the interaction of phycobiliproteins with food, beverages, matrixes, and stabilizers among others is required [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”