Expanded and fixed bed ion exchange chromatography for the recovery of C-phycocyanin in a single step by using lysed cells

Chromatographic purification of C-phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis: assessing antioxidant activity and stability

BACKGROUND

The efficient separation and purification of proteins like C-phycocyanin (C-PC) from Spirulina platensis are essential for their commercialization, yet they remain challenging. This study investigated three chromatographic methods for C-PC purification: weak anion exchange chromatography (DEAE), strong anion exchange chromatography (Q Sepharose), and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC).

RESULTS

Weak anion exchange chromatography achieved a recovery of 36.80 mg unit (57.08%) with a purity of 3.23, outperforming Q Sepharose (yield: 23.21 mg unit means that 46.33%, purity: 2.76) and HIC (yield: 22.95 mg unit means that 17.57%, purity: 3.02). The purified C-PC consisted of α and β subunits with molecular masses of 16 kDa and 17 kDa, respectively. Further assessment revealed its antioxidant capacity through a 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. The stability of C-phycocyanin was tested at different pH levels and temperatures. Maximum stability was observed at pH 7, and pH 4 showed the lowest stability. Glutaraldehyde-treated C-PC (GC-PC) demonstrated gradual degradation up to 50 °C, retaining 73.25% after 30 min. Notably, GC-PC exhibited stability even at higher temperatures, with degradation rates of 57.32% at 70 °C and 50.96% at 80 °C.

CONCLUSION

Weak anion exchange chromatography proved superior for C-PC purification, offering higher yields and purity than Q Sepharose and HIC. The purified C-PC showed promising antioxidant capacity and stability, particularly GC-PC, which exhibited resistance to degradation, even at elevated temperatures. These findings underscore the potential of C-PC as a valuable compound for various applications, with DEAE chromatography being an efficient method for its production and commercialization. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

R-phycocyanin from porphyra haitanensis influences drosophila melanogaster lifespan in a sex-specific manner

Aging has become a major global public health challenge. Our previous research showed that R-phycocyanin (R-PC) possessed anti-aging activity. Notably, studies already revealed that gender may affect the responses to the anti-aging drug. Therefore, it is worth investigating whether the anti-aging effects and their underlying molecular mechanisms of R-PC differ between genders. Firstly, R-PC was isolated from porphyra haitanensis and its anti-aging mechanisms were explored using the nature aging male and female drosophila melanogaster as model. Next, the regulation pathway of longevity was analyzed by KEGG pathway analysis. The longevity pathways-associated molecules were also examined to explore anti-aging mechanisms of R-PC. The results showed that R-PC increased AMPK activity, thus enhanced the key regulatory factors of autophagy (Atg1, Atg8, Atg5), and consequently induced autophagy. Hence, the longevity activity of R-PC life was related with AMPK/mTOR/S6K autophagic signaling pathways in aging female drosophila melanogaster. Meanwhile, R-PC significantly down-regulated TNF-α, MMP3, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 expression levels, and the anti-inflammatory and longevity was associated with R-PC-induced regulation of pI3k/AKT/FOXO3 signaling pathway in aging male drosophila melanogaster. These finding showed that R-PC from porphyra haitanensis might exert the anti-aging actions via different mechanisms in male and female drosophila melanogaste.

Valuable pigments from microalgae: phycobiliproteins, primary carotenoids, and fucoxanthin

Phycobiliproteins, carotenoids and fucoxanthin are photosynthetic pigments extracted from microalgae and cyanobacteria with great potential biotechnological applications, as healthy food colorants and cosmetics. Phycocyanin possesses a brilliant blue color, with fluorescent properties making it useful as a reagent for immunological essays. The most important source of phycocyanin is the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, however, recently, the Rhodophyta Galdieria sulphuraria has also been identified as such. The main obstacle to the commercialization of phycocyanin is represented by its chemical instability, strongly reducing its shelf-life. Moreover, the high level of purity needed for pharmaceutical applications requires several steps which increase both the production time and cost. Microalgae (Chlorella, Dunaliella, Nannochloropsis, Scenedesmus) produce several light harvesting carotenoids, and are able to manage with oxidative stress, due to their free radical scavenging properties, which makes them suitable for use as source of natural antioxidants. Many studies focused on the selection of the most promising strains producing valuable carotenoids and on their extraction and purification. Among carotenoids produced by marine microalgae, fucoxanthin is the most abundant, representing more than 10% of total carotenoids. Despite the abundance and diversity of fucoxanthin producing microalgae only a few species have been studied for commercial production, the most relevant being Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Due to its antioxidant activity, fucoxanthin can bring various potential benefits to the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases. In this review, we update the main results achieved in the production, extraction, purification, and commercialization of these important pigments, motivating the cultivation of microalgae as a source of natural pigments.

Commercial Potential of the Cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima: Physiological and Biochemical Traits and the Purification of Phycocyanin

Simple Summary

Arthrospira maxima is an unbranched, filamentous cyanobacterium rich in important cellular products such as vitamins, minerals, iron, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and protein, which has made it one of the most important commercial photoautotrophs. To optimize the growth conditions for the production of target compounds and to ensure profitability in commercial applications, the effects of pH and temperature were investigated. A. maxima has been shown to be tolerant to a range of pH conditions and to exhibit hyper-accumulation of phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin at low temperatures. These traits may offer significant advantages for future exploitation, especially in outdoor cultivation with fluctuating pH and temperature. Our study also demonstrated a new method for the purification of phycocyanin from A. maxima by using by ultrafiltration, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration, producing PC at 1.0 mg·mL⁻¹ with 97.6% purity.

Abstract

Arthrospira maxima is a natural source of fine chemicals for multiple biotechnological applications. We determined the optimal environmental conditions for A. maxima by measuring its relative growth rate (RGR), pigment yield, and photosynthetic performance under different pH and temperature conditions. RGR was highest at pH 7–9 and 30 °C. Chlorophyll a, phycocyanin, maximal quantum yield (F_v/F_m), relative maximal electron transport rate (rETR_max), and effective quantum yield (Φ_PSII) were highest at pH 7–8 and 25 °C. Interestingly, phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin content was highest at 15 °C, which may be the lowest optimum temperature reported for phycobiliprotein production in the Arthrospira species. A threestep purification of phycocyanin (PC) by ultrafiltration, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration resulted in a 97.6% purity of PC.

Phycocyanin, a super functional ingredient from algae; properties, purification characterization, and applications

Phycocyanins (PCYs) are a group of luxuriant bioactive compounds found in blue-green algae with an estimated global market of about US$250 million within this decade. The multifarious markets of PCYs noted by form (e.g. powder or aqueous forms), by grade (e.g. analytical, cosmetic, or food grades), and by application (such as biomedical, diagnostics, beverages, foods, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals), show that the importance of PCYs cannot be undermined. In this comprehensive study, an overview on PCY, its structure, and health-promoting features are diligently discussed. Methods of purification including chromatography, ammonium sulfate precipitation and membrane filtration, as well as characterization and measurement of PCYs are described. PCYs could have many applications in food colorants, fluorescent markers, nanotechnology, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. It is concluded that PCYs offer significant potentials, although more investigations regarding its purity and safety are encouraged.

Demonstration of protein capture and separation using three-dimensional printed anion exchange monoliths fabricated in one-step

Three-dimensional printing applications in separation science are currently limited by the lack of materials compatible with chromatographic operations and three-dimensional printing technologies. In this work, we propose a new material for Digital Light Processing printing to fabricate functional ion exchange monoliths in a single step. Through copolymerization of the bifunctional monomer [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride, monolithic structures with quaternary amine ligands were fabricated. The novel formulation was optimized in terms of protein binding and recovery, microporous structure, and its swelling susceptibility by increasing its cross-link density and employing cyclohexanol and dodecanol as pore forming agents. In static conditions, the material demonstrated a maximum binding capacity of 104.2 ± 10.6 mg/mL for bovine serum albumin, in line with commercially available materials. Its anion exchange behavior was validated by separating bovine serum albumin and myoglobin on a monolithic bed with Schoen gyroid morphology. The same column geometry was tested for the purification of C-phycocyanin from clarified as well as cell-laden Arthrospira platensis feedstocks. This represents the first demonstration of one-step printed stationary phases to capture proteins directly from solid-laden feedstocks. We believe that the material presented here represents a significant improvement towards implementation of three-dimensional printed chromatography media in the field of separation science.

Multiproduct biorefinery from Arthrospira spp. towards zero waste: Current status and future trends

Considering the high- and low-value product perspectives, Arthrospira spp. are one of the most industrially exploited microalgae. However, currently, the biomass is being utilized for one specific product resulting in a steep upsurge in the overall production cost. Hence, to boost the economic viability of Arthrospira biorefinery process, every high- and low-value products from it ought to be valorized. Envisioning how costlier can be the multiproduct biorefinery concept owing to the downstream processing at an industrial scale, it is quite essential to look for new trends and encouraging solutions. This article intended to propose a sustainable biorefinery in the wake of the current understanding of the present constraints and challenges associated with Arthrospira biorefinery. The current review aimed at defining the future aspects of this biorefinery including integration and optimization of the culture strategy, and, implementation of new ingenious techniques to improve downstream processing (harvesting, extraction, fractionation, and purification).

Mathematical modelling of expanded bed adsorption - a perspective on in silico process design

Expanded bed adsorption (EBA) emerged in the early 1990s in an attempt to integrate the clarification, capture and initial product concentration/purification process. Several mathematical models have been put forward to describe its operation. However, none of the models developed specifically for EBA allows simultaneous prediction of bed hydrodynamics, mass transfer/adsorption and (unwanted) interactions and fouling. This currently limits the development and early optimization of EBA-based separation processes. In multiphase reactor engineering, the use of multiphase computational fluid dynamics has been shown to improve fundamental understanding of fluidized beds. To advance EBA technology, a combination of particle, equipment and process scale models should be used. By employing a cascade of multiscale simulations, the various challenges EBA currently faces can be addressed. This allows for optimal design and selection of equipment, materials and process conditions, and reduces risks and development times of downstream processes involving EBA. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Co-production of carbonic anhydrase and phycobiliproteins by Spirulina sp. and Synechococcus nidulans

The aim of this work was to study the co-production of the carbonic anhydrase, C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin during cyanobacteria growth. Spirulina sp. LEB 18 demonstrated a high potential for simultaneously obtaining the three products, achieving a carbonic anhydrase (CA) productivity of 0.97U/L/d and the highest C-phycocyanin (PC, 5.9μg/mL/d) and allophycocyanin (APC, 4.3μg/mL/d) productivities. In the extraction study, high extraction yields were obtained from Spirulina using an ultrasonic homogenizer (CA: 25.5U/g; PC: 90mg/g; APC: 70mg/g). From the same biomass, it was possible to obtain three biomolecules that present high industrial value.