Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) prevents endoplasmic reticulum stress in the kidney through its C-phycocyanin
Placido ROJAS-FRANCO, Margarita FRANCO-COLÍN, Vanessa BLAS-VALDIVIA, María Estela MELENDEZ-CAMARGO, Edgar CANO-EUROPA
Laboratorio de Metabolismo I, Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07738, Mexico; Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07738, Mexico; Laboratorio de Toxicologia Hepática y Renal, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07738, Mexico
ecanoe@ipn.mx
Abstract: Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) is a cyanobacterium which is considered a nutraceutical because it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties in different renal disease models (Rodriguez-Sánchez et al., 2012; Aziz et al., 2018; Memije-Lazaro et al., 2018). The therapeutic effects are due to the presence of metabolites with biological effects similar to those of essential fatty acids ω-3 and ω-6, vitamins A, C and E, and accessory pigments such as phycobiliproteins. One of the most abundant phycobiliproteins in A. maxima is C-phycocyanin (Mysliwa-Kurdziel and Solymosi, 2017). This molecule is responsible for nephroprotective action in a model of acute kidney injury (AKI) because it reduces oxidative stress and caspase activation (Rodriguez-Sánchez et al., 2012; Rojas-Franco et al., 2018). However, both A. maxima and its C-phycocyanin are related to the reduction of the redox environment. Thus, they probably help to maintain the adequate function of the intracellular organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum. However, this therapeutic action has not been evaluated previously.