13²,17³-Cyclopheophorbide b enol as a catabolite of chlorophyll b in phycophagy by protists.

Both 13(2),17(3)-cyclopheophorbide a and b enols were produced along with ingestion of green microalgae containing chlorophylls a and b by a centrohelid protist (phycophagy). The results suggest that chlorophyll b as well as chlorophyll a were directly degraded to colored yet non-phototoxic catabolites in the protistan phycophagic process. Such a simple process by the predators makes a contrast to the much sophisticated chlorophyll degradation process of land plants and some algae, where phototoxicity of chlorophylls was cancelled through the multiple enzymatic steps resulting in colorless and non-phototoxic catabolites.