Abstract
Oleaginous algae are nowadays of significance for industrial biotechnology applications and for the welfare of society. Tremendous efforts have been put into the development of economically feasible and effective downstream processing techniques in algae research. Currently, Liquid Biphasic Systems (LBSs) are receiving much attention from academia and industry for their potential as green and effective downstream processing methods. This article serves to review the applications of LBSs (LBS and Liquid Biphasic Flotation System (LBFS)) in the separation, recovery and purification of algae products, as well as their basic working principles. Moreover, cell disruptive technologies incorporated into LBSs in algae research are reported. This review provides insights into the downstream processing in algae industrial biotechnology which could be beneficial for algae biorefinement.
Highlights
Over the years, algae have received increasing levels of attention for the downstream processing of industrial biotechnology
Several factors affect the partitioning effect of target biomolecules in the Liquid Biphasic Systems (LBSs), including the type and concentration of phase-forming constituents, tie line length (TLL; the length of the line joining the composition of the two phases in a phase diagram), phase volume ratio (VR; the ratio of the two phases’ volume), pH, temperature, the presence of additives such as neutral salts (e.g., sodium chloride (NaCl)), as well as the physicochemical properties and concentration of crude feedstock
Multi-stages of a Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/potassium phosphate-based LBS reported by Benavides and Rito-Palomares [36] showed no significant augmentation in the protein purity, which was in contrast to the results obtained in Luo et al [44]; the reason for this contradiction could be the different biphasic systems used in both studies
Summary
Algae (both macro- and microalgae) have received increasing levels of attention for the downstream processing of industrial biotechnology. Macroalgae (collectively known as seaweed) have two significant functions: (i) human consumption, and (ii) the production of gelatinous compounds such as agar, alginate and carrageenan. These compounds, known as hydrocolloids or phycocolloids, play a role as food additives. Microalgae biorefinement is of growing interest worldwide; the sustainable production of valuable microalgae-derived products can be attained through biorefinery processes. These products such as biofuels, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamins, antioxidants, pigments, fertilizers and natural colorants, are valuable to the society. LBSs are green, economically viable and high efficient bioseparation technologies
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