Extraction of protease from Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634 in aqueous two-phase system under continuous and discontinuous process

Abstract

Aqueous two-phase systems have been studied for almost a century to separate biomolecules in harmless conditions. Proteases produced by Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634 were extracted in polyethylene glycol (PEG)/phosphate aqueous two-phase system under discontinuous and continuous (perforated rotative discs column) process. On the discontinuous process, it was evaluated the effect of operational conditions (PEG molar mass and its concentration, phosphate concentration and pH) over the partition coefficient, activity yield and purification factor. Protease partitioned to PEG-phase with partition coefficients up to 55.73. The best process parameters were 17.5% of PEG, with molar mass 8000 g·mol−1, 15% of phosphate salt at pH 6, with 113.15% of activity yield and purification factor of 2.62. Under continuous extraction, hold up data showed that 57.1% of the discontinuous phase was available for protein extraction. Further, separation achieved 90.0% of efficiency. The yields surpassed 100% in almost all runs, and the best purification factor was 1.84, with both flows of 2 mL·min−1. Thus, the best operational conditions reached an activity yield of 95.3% and 90.0% of separation efficiency. Hence, aqueous two-phase system PEG/phosphate extraction is an efficient process for separation of proteases produced by Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634, under continuous extraction likewise under discontinuous process.