The aminophosphonate glyphosine enhances phycobiliprotein yields from selected cyanobacterial cultures

Among added-value products obtained from cyanobacterial cultures are phycobiliproteins, photosynthetic pigments that have found an increasing number of applications as natural dyes for food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and antioxidants. To obtain sustainable production, we aimed at maximizing phycobilin yield through the increase of either the final biomass or the specific content of these pigments by varying culture parameters, such as chemical composition and pH of the medium or quality and intensity of the light. Here, we report that the addition to the culture medium of millimolar or submillimolar concentrations of the aminophosphonate glyphosine [(N,N-bis(phosphonomethyl)glycine], formerly used as a ripener for sugarcane, was found to improve phycobilin yields of halophilic and freshwater cyanobacterial strains.