Publication details
Characterization of fluorescent proteins extracted from spirulina using capillary isoelectric focusing with laser induced fluorescence detection
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis is an organism rich in phycobiliproteins, water soluble photosynthetic protein-pigment complexes, which are valuable natural products with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory health benefits. Due to the mentioned functional properties of phycobiliproteins, the dried mass of the cyanobacterium (commonly referred as spirulina) is usually recognized as superfood. Moreover, phycocyanin, the fluorescent photosynthetic pigment, is used as a natural blue colorant in food industry. We have compared two extraction techniques, i.e. ultrasound assisted extraction and pressurized water extraction (PWE), for their efficiency of releasing proteins from spirulina cells. Powdered spirulina was dissolved in water and the suspension was treated either by ultrasound bath/probe sonicator or by lab-made pressurized extractor. The cellular debris were further removed by centrifugation and the protein content was analysed using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The analysis confirmed higher efficiency and faster extraction using PWE. Replicates of PWE spirulina extracts were further analysed by capillary isoelectric focusing with laser induced fluorescence detection (cIEF-LIF) using a novel set of fluorescent markers of isoelectric point. The heterogeneity, quality and quantity of the extracted phycocyanins were determined by cIEF-LIF and compared to a reference phycocyanin standard. The study confirmed that the PWE is a fast and efficient method for extraction of phycobiliproteins, especially phycocyanin. |