Abstract
C-phycocyanin, a natural blue-colored pigment-protein complex was explored as a novel photosensitizer for use in low-level laser therapy under 625-nm laser illumination. C-phycocyanin produced singlet oxygen radicals and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were raised in extended time of treatment. It did not exhibit any visible toxic effect in the absence of light. Under 625-nm laser irradiation, c-phycocyanin generated cytotoxic stress through ROS induction, which killed MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells depending on concentrations. Different fluorescent staining of laser-treated cells explored apoptotic cell death characteristics like the shrinking of cells, cytoplasmic condensation, nuclei cleavage, and the formation of apoptotic bodies. In conclusion, phycocyanin is a non-toxic fluorescent pigment that can be used in low-level light therapy.
Highlights
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as a non-invasive novel therapy to treat cancer, psoriasis [1], and other kinds of infections
Even though c-phycocyanin has been documented as a photosensitizer in a few studies, it has not been utilized much when compared to chlorin e6, a derivative of chlorophyll pigment
C-phycocyanin is a novel class of fluorescent dye, which propagates singlet oxygen radicals upon 625-nm laser illumination, as evidenced from singlet oxygen sensor green (SOSG) assay (Figure 2A), the increasing level of SOSG green intensity indicates the increasing level of oxygen radicals
Summary
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as a non-invasive novel therapy to treat cancer, psoriasis [1], and other kinds of infections. Phycocyanin is one of the natural biological molecules found in Spirulina platensis [6] as a light-harvesting pigment, which possess anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant effects [7]. It is an intense blue-colored fluorescent molecule [8], which shows good photostability, and it has been widely used in food and cosmetic products [9]. We studied the effect of c-phycocyanin-mediated photodynamic effect on breast cancer cells using a 625-nm LLLT system
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