## 3 Bioactivity of Pigments and Lipids from Plastids of Marine Phytoplankton
### Pigments
#### 3.1.2.1 Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Mutagenic Activities  
Number of works report anti-oxidant properties of microalgae and cyanobacteria [107,110,143]. Most microalgal and cyanobacterial pigments exert strong anti-oxidant activities _in vitro_ and _in vivo_ in animal models (Table 2). It was postulated that circulating anti-oxidants also have a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, are inversely related to plasmatic concentrations of vitamin C, carotenoids and phenols [144, 145, 146]. Therefore, dietary anti-oxidants may be protective against the development of inflammatory disease. However, additional intervention trials are required with carotenoids to precise their \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l} \hline
**Pigments** & **Bioactivities** & **References** \\ \hline Aphanizophyll & Photopprotection & [97, 98, 99] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Astaxanthin} & Anti-allergic, anti-cancer, anti cardiovascular diseases & [100, 101, 102] \\  & Anti-oxidant & [100, 103, 104] \\  & Photopprotection & [38, 105] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Canthaxanthin} & Anti-cancer & [106] \\  & Anti-oxidant & [107] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{\(\beta\)-Carotene} & Anti-allergic & [108, 109] \\  & Anti-cancer & [110, 111] \\  & Anti-oxidant & [112] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{\(\beta\)-Cryptoxanthin} & Anti-inflammatory & [113] \\  & Improvement of skin health & [114] \\ \hline Diadinoxanthin/Diatoxanthin & Photopprotection & [115, 116] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Fucoxanthin} & Anti-allergic & [109, 117, 118] \\  & Anti-cancer & [119, 120] \\  & Anti-inflammatory & [121, 122, 123] \\  & Anti-obesity & [124, 125, 126, 127] \\  & Anti-oxidant & [128, 129] \\  & Photopprotection & [130] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Fucoxanthinol} & Anti-cancer & [131] \\  & Anti-obesity & [124, 125, 126] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Lutein} & Anti-inflammatory & [113] \\  & Protection of eyes & [131, 132, 133] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Myxoxanthophyll} & Anti-oxidant & [134, 135] \\  & Photopprotection & [97, 98, 99] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Neoxanthin} & Anti-cancer & [134] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Orange Carotenoid Protein} & Photopprotection & [136, 137, 138, 139] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Anti-cancer & [140] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Sporopolenin} & Photopprotection & [141] \\ \cline{1-1}  & S Synechoxanthin & Anti-oxidant & [142] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Violaxanthin} & Anti-cancer & [111, 112, 134] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Anti-cancer & [111, 112, 134] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Zexaxanthin} & Anti-allergic & [109] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Antioxidant & [135, 143] \\ \cline{1-1}  & Photopprotection & [139] \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Bioactivities of carotenoids from microalgae and cyanobacteria. absorption, metabolism and potential as natural anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic compounds _in vivo_. Carotenoids have also a role in regulating gene expression and in inducing cell-to-cell communications [147]. Astaxanthin (Asta) is a nonprovitamin A found in _Haematococcus pluralis_, up to 2-20 g kg\({}^{-1}\) on a dry weight basis [148]. It is a powerful anti-oxidant, more effective than vitamins C and E or other carotenoids [149, 150]. In particular, it has been reported that the anti-oxidant properties of Asta are about 10 times greater than those of \(\beta\)-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin and over 500 greater than that of \(\alpha\)-tocopherol. Thus the term \"super vitamin E\" has been proposed for Asta [100, 103]. Asta has also a great potential to prevent cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases [100, 101]. The presence of the hydroxyl and keto endings on each ionone ring explains Asta unique features, such as the ability to be esterified [115], a higher anti-oxidant activity and a more polar configuration than other carotenoids [38, 102, 128].