White and red LEDs as two-phase batch for cyanobacterial pigments production

•Red light had positive effect in Cyanobium sp. pigment synthesis.•Two-phase cultivation system increases pigments productivity.•10 + 4 days (W + R light) is the optimal condition for a higher pigments production. Carotenoids and phycobiliproteins have a high economic value, due to their wide range of biological and industrial applications. The implementation of strategies to increase their production, such as the application of two-phase light cultivation systems, can stimulate pigments production, increasing economic turnover. In this sense, Cyanobium sp. was grown in seven different two-phase white/red cultivation arrangements, varying the time of each light from 0 to 21 days. Biomass, photosynthetic activity, pigments profile and antioxidant capacity were measured along time. Red light increased photosynthetic activity and pigments content (ca. 1.8-fold), and the use of a two-phase cultivation system generally raised bioactivity and production of phytochemicals. Among the studied, the optimal cultivation condition was found with 10 days of white followed by 4 days of red light. The optimized growth led to a productivity of 137.4 ± 0.8 mg L−1 d−1 of biomass, 17.0 ± 0.2 mg L−1 d−1 of total phycobiliproteins and 4.5 ± 0.2 mg L−1 d−1 of carotenoids.