COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT SOLVENTS TO EXTRACT PHYCOCYANIN FROM ARTHROSPIRA PLATENSIS

Background and Aim:Arthrospira platensis, commonly named as spirulina, is a cyanobacteria which is well-known as a food supplement due to a high content of essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It also contains the blue pigment, called C-Phycocyanin(C-PC). C-PC has demonstrated some therapeutic properties (anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, heart protective). It is also a good replacement for artificial (synthetics) colors in confectionary and drinks industry. Several methods have been proposed for the extraction and purification of C-PC. Yet, less is known about the most efficient phycocyanin extraction technique. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different solvent in phycocyanin extraction.Methods:Spirulina biomass was suspended in different salts solutions such as (FeSO4, NaH2PO4, CH₃COONa, CaCl2, MgSO4, Nacl), Glycerol solution, acidic solusion such as (Citric acid, Boric acid) in two concentrations of 0.1M and 0.5M, buffers (GTE, Britton Robinson, Sodium Acetate), and Distilled water. They were frozen and thaw three times, and their absorbance was measured at 280, 650 and 652 nm.Results:Purity ratio calculated by A620/A280. The results show that FeSO4 has the highest purity (4.5) while purity of other salt solutions were less than 2. The highest yield, around 6 with the purity of 1, is recorded for water, compared to MgSO4 0.5 M and NaH2PO4, Glycerol and Cacl2 0.5 M indicating a lower yield.Conclusion:The findings show that the proper extraction method is FeSO4 0.1M, leading to the highest purity ratio, approximately 4.5 with the yield of 3.

Keywords:

Phycocyanin , ultrasonic , buffers , Salt solution