C-phycocyanin purification: Multiple processes for different applications

Abstract

C-phycocyanin is a potential nutraceutical/pharmaceutical candidate with functionalities that are better documented than those of health foods in general. Studies have demonstrated that C-phycocyanin has antioxidant and antitumor properties and potential activities against other diseases. However, its large-scale purification remains problematic and expensive. The aim of this work was to establish the best process for obtaining C-phycocyanin of different purities for different applications. The first step of this study was the maximization of the ultrafiltration process. Under the best ultrafiltration conditions, we evaluated the application of ultrafiltration, precipitation, and ion exchange chromatography (expanded and fixed beds) in different sequences and their effects on C-phycocyanin recovery and purification. It was possible to obtain C-phycocyanin that could be used as food dye with purity of 0.95 employing only diafiltration/ultrafiltration. With different process configurations, we obtained extracts that could be used as cosmetic dye with purity of 2.1 and biomarkers with purity of 3.0, and for therapeutic and biomedicine applications with an analytical grade (purity > 4.0).