Improvements in the Synthesis of Phycocyanins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016333059-A1
Application number	US-201515112646-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2015
Priority date	Jan 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention discloses microorganism cell culture conditions that result in increased cellular and media concentrations of a biological pigment. The invention has applications in use as a natural food colouring, as antioxidants in the food supplement industries, in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries, and a non-toxic ink. The method results in pigment that is relatively easy to separate from the microorganism culture.

First claim

1 . A method for the synthesis of a phycocyanin, the method comprising the steps of (i) culturing a microorganism in a suitable growth medium and (ii) providing a suitable source of light, wherein the light consists of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of between 640 and 720 nm and wherein the microorganism in culture synthesizes a phycocyanin.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina or Arthrospira genus).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation consists of a wavelength of 680 nm.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein electromagnetic radiation consists of a wavelength of 682 nm.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein electromagnetic radiation consists of a wavelength of 678 nm.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein levels of the synthesized phycocyanin are at least four-fold greater than levels of synthesized phycocyanin in the same microorganism separately cultured in the presence of white light.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the white light consists of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of between 350 nm and 760 nm.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the synthesized phycocyanin leaches from the microorganism.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is substituted with another organism, and wherein the other organism is selected from the group consisting of a photosynthetic bacterium, a photosynthetic archaean, a photosynthetic protist, a photosynthetic alga, a photosynthetic moss, and a photosynthetic plant.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the organism comprises recombinant DNA.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is suitable for the synthesis of a biochemical, wherein the biochemical is selected from the group consisting of hyaluronans, glucosamines, saccharides, polysaccharides, phycobiliproteins, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin, bilin, phycobilin, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans.

13 . A system for producing phycocyanin, the system comprising a vessel and a lamp, wherein the lamp generates electromagnetic energy consisting of a wavelength of 640 nm or greater, and wherein the vessel further comprises a microorganism capable of synthesizing phycocyanin.

14 . A system for producing phycocyanin, the system comprising a vessel and a lamp, wherein the lamp generates electromagnetic energy consisting of a wavelength of 680 nm, and wherein the vessel further comprises a microorganism capable of synthesizing phycocyanin.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the microorganism is Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina or Arthrospira genus).

Assignees

• Univ Newcastle

Inventors

• Brain Chelsea Marie
• Caldwell Gary Stephen

Classifications

• C09D11/32

  characterised by colouring agents · CPC title

• C09D11/037

  characterised by the pigment · CPC title

• A61Q19/00

  Preparations for care of the skin · CPC title

• C09B61/00 Primary

  Dyes of natural origin prepared from natural sources {, e.g. vegetable sources} · CPC title

• A61K8/30

  containing organic compounds · CPC title