Spirulina Platensis, Phycocyanin Fluorescence Separation Purification

Phycocyanin is a natural blue pigment present in all blue-green algae. In the living algae cell, phycocyanin can serve as a protein storage unit and as an antioxidant, protecting the cell from certain wavelengths light damage. Moreover, phycocyanin has been shown to have significant anti-tumor properties and it is shown to prevent colitis in an animal model. Phycocyanin has been widely used in such areas as foods, cosmetic and medicine, and it's of no doubt that phycocyanin has a splendid perspective.In this article, isolation and purification of phycocyanin from cultivated Spirulina platensis were accomplished by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography together with chromatography on hydroxylapatite. And then after desaltification and freeze-drying, a commercial product of phycocyanin was gained.The absorbance maximum of phycocyanin obtained was 620nm observed by UV/Vis spectrometer. At a concentration above 30 percent, OD620/OD280 higher than 5.0 and OD620/OD650 higher than 2.0 were detected. Analysis by SDS-PAGE in combination with non-denatured PAGE showed that phycocyanin was composed of two kinds of subunits (alpha and beta) with molecular weight 16.5kDa and 17.6kDa, respectively, and they might form a (alpha beta) 3 heteropolymer in the operation conditions.Our methods described here proved applicable in advantages of high activity of protein product, low cost and good repeatability. The results were of fundamental importance for the coming research. This method is applying for a patent with the number 0215091.0.