NMR Spectroscopy For The Characterization of Photoprotective Compounds in Cyanobacteria

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Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in nature as they efficiently tolerate various extreme climatic conditions for survival, such as increasing effects of solar radiation, salinity, temperature, etc. Cyanobacteria are important sources of secondary metabolites, which enable them to withstand these harsh environmental conditions. Small-molecular-weight secondary compounds are primarily implied in the defense mechanisms in case of biotic and abiotic stresses. Various beneficiary secondary compounds are extracted from cyanobacteria, such as UV-screening pigments (mycosporine-like amino acids, scytonemin, carotenoids, etc.), phytohormones, cyanotoxins and antioxidants. Bioactivity-directed isolation techniques are used to identify these molecules from complicated matrices in pharmacognosy (discovery of biologically active compounds from natural sources). NMR spectroscopy has appeared as a specific major analytical technique applied in metabolomics. The easy sample preparation, the expertise to evaluate metabolite quantity, the notable investigational reliability, and the innately non-destructive quality of NMR spectroscopy have made it the first-line option for significant scientific metabolic analyses. Unlike some mass spectrometry methods, NMR is not discriminatory, depending on the metabolites' precursors or their ionization potential. Screening of metabolites needs maximum sensitivity, and it is a process with a broad scope. In this chapter, we have discussed the usage of NMR spectroscopy in the identification of photoprotective compounds and its advantages and disadvantages for metabolomic studies. We have also explored several new NMR techniques that have recently become available in order to fortify its advantages and overcome its inherent limitations in metabolomics applications.