Abstract
Scytonemin is a yellow-brown ultraviolet screening compound present in the sheath of several cyanobacteria. In this investigation, biological crusts from various natural habitats were examined for the presence of the photoprotective compound scytonemin. Cyanobacteria such as Scytonema sp., Anabaena sp., Nostoc sp., Fischerella sp. and Lyngbya sp. were present in these biological crusts. Analysis of photosynthetic pigments such as Chl a and carotenoids was done by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The Chl a and carotenoid contents were found to be maximum in Scytonema sp. isolated from the wall of the excavated area of Sarnath. Identification and characterization of scytonemin were done through High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). Scytonemin was present in all samples and HPLC chromatograms showed absorption maxima at 386 nm having retention time ranging from 5.3 to 5.9 min. It also absorbs significantly at 252, 278 and 300 nm. HRMS showed [M + H]+ m/z: 545.1) divulged scytonemin. From the present study, it can be concluded that synthesis of photoprotective compound scytonemin counteracts the harmful effects of solar radiation which enable cyanobacteria to colonize and survive in extreme environmental conditions such as rocks and walls of buildings that face prolonged high intensity solar radiation. Scytonemin as strong UV-shielding and antioxidant molecule can be considered as a key ingredient in various pharmaceutical industries for the development of novel drugs and natural Sun protection cream.
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Acknowledgments
N. Kumari (09/013(0819)/2018-EMR-I), A. Pandey (09/013(0619)/2016-EMR-I) and A. Gupta (09/013(0912)/2019-EMR-I) are thankful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India, for the financial support in the form of fellowships. S. Mishra is thankful to University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India, for the financial assistance in the form of fellowship as Junior Research Fellow (Joint CSIR-UGC JRF-2019/NTA Ref. No.: 191620046790).
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N. Kumari: Performed the experiments and wrote the MS; A. Pandey: Helped in writing the MS and critically reviewing the manuscript; A. Gupta: Helped in sample collection; S. Mishra: Helped in performing experiments; R.P. Sinha: Designed the experiments, provided laboratory facilities and reviewed the manuscript. All authors accepted the final version of our manuscript.
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Kumari, N., Pandey, A., Gupta, A. et al. Characterization of UV-screening pigment scytonemin from cyanobacteria inhabiting diverse habitats of Varanasi, India. Biologia 78, 319–330 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01190-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01190-9