Review Article Open Access

Cyanobacteria: a potential natural source for drug Discovery and bioremediation

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are one of the earliest inhabitants of Earth and they contribute towards biogeochemical cycles of Carbon and Nitrogen. Cyanobacteria have the capability of producing wide variety of bioactive compounds and these compounds have wide applications in various fields of agriculture, biotechnology, pharmacology, etc. They also release exopolysacchrides and other compounds which possess antimicrobial and anticancerous properties. Cyanobacteria needs minimal and unsophisticated growth conditions and the manipulations in their genome can be done easily, thus making it a best choice for biotechnological applications. Many strains of cyanobacteria produce commercially high-valued compounds like pigments, Vitamins, and enzymes. Cyanobacteria are potential bioremediation agents due to their capability of thriving in extreme conditions and metabolizing wide variety of compounds. Cyanobacteria are promising in degrading some peculiar pollutants and also removing heavy metals from the environment. Use of Cyanobacteria for the treatment of wastewater or sludge has been increased recently. Moreover, the developments in biophysical and genetic engineering techniques have made it possible to amplify the production of desired molecules in cyanobacteria which can be used for industrial scale production. In this review, the applications of cyanobacteria as sources ofbioactive compounds for drug development and bioremediation applications were discussed.

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