Recovery of pure B-phycoerythrin from the microalga Porphyridium cruentum.
Phycoerythrin is a major light-harvesting pigment of red algae and cyanobacteria that is widely used as a fluorescent probe and analytical reagent. In this paper, B-phycoerythrin and R-phycocyanin in native state, from the red alga Porphyridium cruentum were obtained by an inexpensive and simple process. The best results of this purification procedure were scaled up by a factor of 13 to a large preparative level using an anionic chromatographic column of DEAE cellulose. Gradient elution with acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.5) was used. In these conditions both 32% of B-phycoerythrin and 12% of R-phycocyanin contained in the biomass of the microalgae was recovered. B-phycoerythrin was homogeneous as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), yielding three migrating bands corresponding to its three subunits, consistent with the (alpha beta)(6)gamma subunit composition characteristic of this biliprotein and the spectroscopic characterization of B-PE (UV-visible absorption and emission spectroscopy; steady-state and polarization fluorescence), is accompanied. Finally, a preliminary cost analysis of the recovery process is presented.
Bermejo Román
R
R
Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Jaen University, E.U.P. of Linares, Linares 23700, Spain.
Alvárez-Pez
J M
JM
Acién Fernández
F G
FG
Molina Grima
E
E
D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D010799:Phycoerythrin / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D013053:Spectrophotometry
D010799:Phycoerythrin