Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Insights on the downstream purification of fucoxanthin, a microalgal carotenoid, from an aqueous two-phase system stream exploiting ultrafiltration

  • Published:
Journal of Applied Phycology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Alcohol–salt aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) have shown promising results in the primary recovery of fucoxanthin from microalgae. However, the need of further operations to continue with the purification of the compound is required. In this sense, the use of ultrafiltration to process an ethanolic ATPS stream where fucoxanthin is recovered is explored in this work. Addition of ethanol to the original recovered ATPS ethanolic stream to a final relation of 74.15 % (w/w) resulted in the reduction of fucoxanthin unspecific losses in the membrane while incrementing its recovery. In fact, the ultrafiltration processing of the diluted ATPS sample presented a reduction of approximately 16 % of the proteic impurities, increasing product purity with a recovery of about 63 % of the compound in the permeate. These results show the potential of ultrafiltration in recovering molecules from ATPS streams in an easy-to-implement and economical manner avoiding a major setback in the industrial implementation of this unitary operation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Billakanti MJ, Catchpole O, Fenton T, Mitchell K (2013) Enzyme-assisted extraction of fucoxanthin and lipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids from Undaria pinnatifida using dimethyl ether and ethanol. Process Biochem 48:1999–2008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boczar BA, Prezelin BB (1989) Organization and comparison of chlorophyll-protein complexes from two fucoxanthin-containing algae: Nitzschia closterium (Bacillariophyceae) and Isochrysis galbana (Prymnesiophyceae). Plant Cell Physiol 30:1047–1105

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cissé M, Vaillant F, Pallet D, Dornier M (2011) Selecting ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes to concentrate anthocyanins from roselle extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Food Res Int 44:2607–2614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geens J, Peeters K, Van der Bruggen B, Vandecasteele C (2005) Polymeric nanofiltration of binary water-alcohol mixtures: influence of feed composition and membrane properties on permeability and rejection. J Membr Sci 255:255–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Loredo A, Benavides J, Rito-Palomares M (2014) Partition behavior of fucoxanthin in ethanol-potassium phosphate two-phase systems. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 89:1637–1645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-Valdez J, Cueto LF, Benavides JA, Rito-Palomares M (2011) Potential application of aqueous two-phase systems for the fractionation of RNase A and α-Lactalbumin from their PEGylated conjugates. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 86:26–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guillard RRL (1975) Culture of phytoplankton for feeding marine invertebrates. In: Smith WL, Chanley MH (eds) Culture of marine invertebrate animals. Plenum Press, New York, pp 26–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Guillard RRL, Ryther JH (1962) Studies of marine planktonic diatoms. I. Cyclotella nana Hustedt and Detonula confervacea Cleve. Can J Microbiol 8:229–239

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guedes A, Amaro H, Malcata F (2011) Microalgae as sources of carotenoids. Mar Drugs 9:625–644

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jaswir I, Noviendri D, Salleh HM, Taher M, Miyashita K (2011) Isolation of fucoxanthin and fatty acids analysis of Padina australis and cytotoxic effect of fucoxanthin on human lung cancer (H1299) cell lines. Afr J Biotechnol 10:18855–18862

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SM, Jung YJ, Kwon ON, Cha KH, Um BH, Chung D, Pan CH (2012a) A potential commercial source of fucoxanthin extracted from the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 166:1843–1855

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SM, Kang SW, Kwon ON, Chung D, Pan CH (2012b) Fucoxanthin as a major carotenoid in Isochrysis aff. galbana: characterization of extraction for commercial application. J Korean Soc Appl Biol Chem 55:477–483

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SM, Shang YF, Um BH (2011) A preparative method for isolation of fucoxanthin from Eisenia bicyclis by centrifugal partition chromatography. Phytochem Anal 22:322–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lavaud J, Rousseau B, Etienne AL (2003) Enrichment of the light-harvesting complex in diadinoxanthin and implications for the nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching in diatoms. Biochemistry 42:5802–5808

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lencki RW, Williams S (1995) Effect of nonaqueous solvents on the flux behavior of ultrafiltration membranes. J Membr Sci 101:43–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miyashita K, Nishikawa S, Beppu F, Tsukui T, Abe M, Hosokawa M (2011) The allenic carotenoid fucoxanthin, a novel marine nutraceutical from brown seaweeds. J Sci Food Agric 91:1166–1174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noviendri D, Jaswir I, Salleh HM, Taher M, Miyashita K, Ramli N (2011) Fucoxanthin extraction and fatty acid analysis of Sargassum binderi and S. duplicatum. J Med Plant Res 5:2405–2412

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nwuja V (2000) Novel studies on membrane extraction of bioactive components of green tea in organic solvents: part I. J Food Eng 44:233–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennington F, Guillard RR, Liaaen-Jensen S (1988) Carotenoid distribution patterns in Bacillariophyceae (diatoms). Biochem Syst Ecol 16:589–592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rito-Palomares M (2004) Practical application of aqueous two-phase partition to process development for the recovery of biological products. J Chromatogr B 807:3–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roh MK, Uddin MS, Chun BS (2008) Extraction of fucoxanthin and polyphenol from Undaria pinnatifida using supercritical carbon dioxide with co-solvent. Biotechnol Bioprocess Eng 13:724–729

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena A, Tripathi BP, Kumar M, Shahi VK (2009) Membrane-based techniques for the separation and purification of proteins: an overview. Adv Colloid Interface 145:1–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shang YF, Kim SM, Lee WJ, Um BH (2011) Pressurized liquid method for fucoxanthin extraction from Eisenia bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell. J Biosci Bioeng 111:237–241

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla R, Cheryan M (2002) Performance of ultrafiltration membranes in ethanol-water solutions: effect of membrane conditioning. J Membr Sci 198:75–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki R, Takahashi M, Furuya K, Ishimaru T (1993) Simplified technique for the rapid determination of phytoplankton pigments by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. J Oceanogr 49:571–580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui EM, Cheryan M (2004) Characteristics of nanofiltration membranes in aqueous ethanol. J Membr Sci 237:61–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui EM, Cheryan M (2007) Membrane processing of xanthophylls in ethanol extracts of corn. J Food Eng 83:590–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Valenzuela-Espinoza E, Millán-Nuñez R, Nuñez-Cebrero F (1999) Biomass production and nutrient uptake by Isochrysis aff. galbana (Clone T-ISO) cultured with a low cost alternative to the f/2 medium. Aquacult Eng 20:135–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warczok J, Fernando M, Lopez F, Guell C (2004) Concentration of apple and pear juices by nanofiltration at low pressures. J Food Eng 63:63–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright SW, Jeffrey SW, Mantoura RF, Llewellyn CA, Bjornland T, Repeta D, Welschmeyer N (1991) Improved HPLC method for the analysis of chlorophylls and carotenoids from marine phytoplankton. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 77:183–196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xia S, Wang K, Wan L, Li A, Hu Q, Zhang C (2013) Production, characterization and antioxidant activity of fucoxanthin from the marine diatom Odontella aurita. Mar Drugs 11:2667–2681

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zapata M, Jeffrey SW, Wright SW, Rodríguez F, Garrido JL, Clementson L (2004) Photosynthetic pigments in 37 species (65 strains) of Haptophyta: implications for oceanography and chemotaxonomy. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 270:83–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the financial support of Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT, Grant 333554), the ITESM Research Chair (Grant CAT020), the Bioprocess Research Chair (Grant CAT161), and the Zambrano-Hellion Fund (CDB090).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey. Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico

    Alma Gómez-Loredo, José González-Valdez & Marco Rito-Palomares

Authors
  1. Alma Gómez-Loredo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. José González-Valdez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marco Rito-Palomares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco Rito-Palomares.

Additional information

Alma Gómez-Loredo and José González-Valdez contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gómez-Loredo, A., González-Valdez, J. & Rito-Palomares, M. Insights on the downstream purification of fucoxanthin, a microalgal carotenoid, from an aqueous two-phase system stream exploiting ultrafiltration. J Appl Phycol 27, 1517–1523 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-014-0443-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-014-0443-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation