Influence of gold and silver nanoparticles on the synthesis of phycobiliproteins in red microalga Porphyridium cruentum

Abstract

The biological properties of nanoparticles are determined by their size, shape, and surface characteristics. The study of the effect of nanoparticles on microalgae as biotechnological objects is one of the topical areas of modern research. Similar to the action of complex chemical compounds, the stimulating nature of the action of nanoparticles is based on reversible oxidative stress caused by the mechanisms of adaptation of a microalgae culture to cultivation conditions. Phycobiliprotein pigments, as the major light- harvesting pigments of red microalga Porphyridium cruentum, are involved in the cellular response to the presence of nanoparticles in the cultivation medium.