The Research of the Stability of Phycocyanin from Spirulina Platensis

Abstract: The effects of four cosmetic additives on the stability of phycocyanin aqueous solution were studied at room temperature in the dark, at room temperature lighting, and at 40°C in the dark. The results showed that both light and high temperature (40°C) can reduce the stability of phycocyanin. We could also see that Glycerin, butanediol, sodium chloride, and sodium benzoate can effectively improve the stability of phycocyanin in the range of cosmetic content. At room temperature in the dark, at room temperature lighting, and 40°C in the dark, the phycocyanin pigment retention rate all increased with the four additives after 10days, and the sodium chloride increased the most. While the four substances were combined, the pigment retention rate of phycocyanin was significantly improved under the three conditions, which increases to 78.24%,57.80%, and 76.02%.

Keywords: Spirulina platensis; phycocyanin: stabilities; cosmetic additives

Lu Ping Ping 1,2,3, Li Chuanmao 1,2, Yang Dengliang 1,2, Lin Shengjie 1,3, Andy Lau 1,3

(1. Guangdong Danz Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510410;  2.Guangzhou Keneng Cosmetics Research Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510890; 3.Guangzhou Baiyun Lianjia Fine Chemistry Factory, Guangdong Guangzhou 510445, China)

 

The amino acids of phycocyanin are complete, and the essential amino acids can account for 37.2% of the total amount. Studies have shown that phycocyanin has a good effect on anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, enhancing immunity, inhibiting tyrosinase activity, and melanin production. Therefore, phycocyanin has a broad application prospect in food, cosmetics additives, health food production, and its natural bright blue application is a big sale in cosmetics. However, the stability of phycocyanin is poor, in the case of bacterial contamination, it will be rapidly degraded; under high temperature and light conditions, it is easy to destroy the structure of phycocyanin to lighten its blue color, which limits its large-scale application in practical production. Therefore, it is very important to study the stability of phycocyanin.

Studies have shown that citric acid, sugar, sodium benzoate can be used as a stabilizing agent for phycocyanin solution, but it still can not meet the requirement of long-term preservation of phycocyanin: higher concentration of glycerol (not less than 40%) can also protect the stability of phycocyanin [9], but the concentration of glycerol in cosmetics is difficult to use up to 40%, and the dissolution of phycocyanin in the process of glycerol is difficult. Therefore, based on previous experiments, the effects of different cosmetic additives and compound additives on the stability of phycocyanin were studied. At the same time, the stability test conditions of cosmetic formula include 40°C and illumination, so this paper also tested the effect of 40C and illumination on the stability of phycocyanin.

1 Materials and Methods

1.1Materialsand Main Instruments

Spirulina blue powder (purchased from Zhejiang Binmei Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), glycerol (cosmetics grade, Sven chemical), butanediol (cosmetics grade, USA OXEA), sodium chloride (cosmetics grade, Guangzhou Chemical Reagent Factory) and sodium benzoate (cosmetics grade, Wuhan Organic Industrial Co., Ltd.); Evolution 220 UV spectrophotometer.

1.2Experimental study on the stability of phycocyanin

1.2.1 Effect of temperature on the stability of phycocyanin

A 100 ppm aqueous solution of phycocyanin can form a beautiful bright blue for use in cosmetics. Dissolve 0.1 g phycocyanin in lOOOg water, determine its absorbance A0 at 620 nm, place it in a room temperature light-free,40C constant temperature light-free environment, and then determine the absorbance A1 and A2 of the aqueous solution of the phycocyanin composition at 620 nm after 10 days, calculate its pigment preservation rate, the pigment preservation rate is calculated according to the following formula:

1.2.2 Effect of illumination on the stability of phycocyanin

Dissolve 0.1 g phycocyanin in 1000 g water, determine its absorbance A0 at 620 nm, place it in a light-free environment at room temperature and light-light at room temperature, and then determine the absorbance A1 and the aqueous solution of the phycocyanin composition at 620 nm after 10 days, respectively A2, calculate its pigment preservation rate.

1.2.3 Effect of cosmetic additives on the stability of phycocyanin

In 100 ppm of phycocyanin solution, according to the dosage of cosmetic additives specified in the 2015 Technical Specification for the Safety of Cosmetics and the commonly used amount of cosmetic additives in cosmetic formulations, the following additives were added:12% glycerol,9% butanediol,3% sodium chloride and 0.15% sodium benzoate, respectively, placed in a room-temperature light-free environment at room temperature and  40°C  to avoid light.  It was mixed and experimented according to the above method to observe the change of pigment preservation rate.

2.Results and Analysis

2.1 Effect of temperature on the stability of phycocyanin

The effect of temperature on the stability of phycocyanin is shown in From Fig .1.

The pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin decreased to 28.57% and 24.89 after 10 days in the environment of avoiding light at room temperature and 40′ C, respectively. According to the results of the determination, the pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin is low, and the high temperature, that is,40°C,  may destroy the structure of phycocyanin, which is more unfavorable to the stability of phycocyanin.

Avoid light at room temperature  40°C to avoid light

Fig .1 Effect of temperature on the stability of phycocyanin

 

2.Effect of light on the stability of phycocyanin

The effect of light on the stability of phycocyanin is shown in figure 2. from figure 2, the pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin decreased to 28.57% and 19.34 after 10 days in the environment of avoiding light and illumination at room temperature, respectively. The results show that light also destroys the structure of phycocyanin and reduces the pigment preservation of phycocyanin. Even the effect of light on the stability of phycocyanin is greater than that of high temperature.

                                                                                Avoid light at room temperature Room temperature

                                                                     Fig.2 Effect of illumination on the stability of phycocyanin

 

2.3Effect of cosmetic additives on the stability of phycocyanin

The effect of phycocyanin and additives on the stability of phycocyanin is shown in figure 3 and figure 4.

From Fig .3, four pairs of phycocyanin solution of 100 ppm were obtained by adding 12% glycerol, 9% butanediol, 3% sodium chloride, and 0.15% sodium benzoate respectively. The pigment preservation rate of adding glycerol was 44.93%,29.65% and 39.75% after 10 days ,47.30.4% and 42.01% respectively. The pigment preservation rate of adding sodium chloride was 54.41%,40.28%, and 46.88% respectively .29%, it can be seen that glycerol, butanediol, sodium chloride, and sodium benzoate can improve the pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin.

From Fig.4, 12% glycerol, 9% T-diol, 3% sodium chloride and 0.15% sodium benzoate were added to the phycocyanin solution at 100 ppm, and the pigment preservation rate after 10 days was 78.24%,57.80%, and 76.02% respectively, which indicated that the pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin was greatly improved, probably because glycerol and butanediol polyol could stabilize the protein and prevent its aggregation. And sodium chloride and sodium benzoate are good preservatives, which can reduce the growth of bacteria and reduce the degradation degree of phycocyanin.

 

 

3 Conclusion

Temperature and light will affect the pigment stability of phycocyanin, among which, the light will affect the pigment stability of phycocyanin more than the shadow of temperature. Appropriate concentrations of glycerol, butanediol, sodium chloride, and sodium benzoate can protect the pigment of phycocyanin, among which sodium chloride has the most obvious protective effect on phycocyanin. the four substances were combined. the pigment preservation rate of phycocyanin increased to 78.24%,57.80%, and 76.02% in the environment of avoiding light at room temperature, the light at room temperature, and light at  40°c,  which significantly improved the storage stability of phycocyanin pigmented. afelgrael bnluceepsrotein solution with compound additives can be directly applied in cosmetics.

 

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