Abstract
Crude C-phycocyanin extracts from Spirulina platensis, with and without cell debris, were purified in aqueous two-phase systems ( ATPS) varying the molar mass of the PEG, at pH 6, more promising than at pH 7 . For the assays carried out with each molar mass, with distinct percentages of PEG and salt, the concentrations (mg mL-1), purities (OD 620/OD 280) and C-phycocyanin partition coefficients of each system were determined and compared. The process for the primary purification of intracellular C-phycocyanin with cell debris (integrated), composed of 15% of PEG 1500 and 13% of potassium phosphate and 5% of PEG 4000 and 18% of salt, produced C-phycocyanin concentrations of, respectively, 1.60 and 2.67 mg mL-1 in the top phase. The purities were of 0.73 and 0.79 respectively, values higher than those obtained in the systems without cells.
Highlights
The cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis has been the focus of important biotechnological research due to its economical, ecological and nutritional importance
Favourable results were not obtained at pH 7.0, and at pH 6.0 it was observed that the lower the volume ratio, Vr, the higher the purification factor obtained for the C-phycocyanin
In the pH 6 experiments using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500 and 6000, the purity of C-phycocyanin was higher than that obtained under the best conditions for purification by precipitation studied by Silva et al.,[29] reaching values of 0.77 and 0.88
Summary
The cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis has been the focus of important biotechnological research due to its economical, ecological and nutritional importance This microalga has great potential in the production of food and related nutritional materials, such as colouring agents, vitamins, g-linolenic acid and enzymes.[1] Amongst the proteins present in Spirulina platensis are the phycobiliproteins, a family of hydrophilic, brilliantly coloured and stable fluorescent pigment proteins that can be classified into three main groups: phycocyanin (C-PC), phycoerythrin (C-PE) and allophycocyanin (C-APC) depending on the inherent colour and absorbance properties.[2,3] C-phycocyanin is the major component of the phycobiliprotein family. Process integration of Extraction and Purification of C-phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis
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