Phycocyanin powder is the "light-trapping antenna" of algae and a very powerful nutrient. Phycocyanin powder contains an open-chain tetrapyrrole ring structure of phycocyanobilin, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enhance immunity, and other physiological activities, in functional food, dietary supplements, medicine, and other fields have good prospects for application. Algal blue protein is the most powerful natural water-soluble ingredient with the strongest antioxidant capacity discovered so far.

Phycocyanin powder (C-PC) occurs as the major phycobiliprotein in many cyanobacteria and as a secondary phycobiliprotein in some red algae. The pigment has a single visible absorption maximum between 615 and 620 nm and a fluorescence emission maximum at ~650 nm. Its molecular weight is between 70,000 and 110,000 daltons. The pigment is composed of two subunits, α and β, which occur in equal numbers, but the exact number of α and β pairs which make up the molecule may vary among the species. Both α and β subunits contain only the PCB chromophore. In addition to absorbing light directly, this intensely blue pigment accepts quanta from phycoerythrin by fluorescent energy transfer in organisms in which PE is present. The red fluorescence of phycocyanin powder (C-PC) is transferred to allophycocyanin

Phycocyanin powder is also used for coloring food and beverages and is the only natural blue pigment permitted under current food regulations.

Otherwise, phycocyanin powder is also used as a fluorescent agent, with the fluorescence of phycocyanin powder being 30 times higher than that of ordinary fluorescein.