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Isolation and characterization of phycocyanins from the blue-green alga Spirulina platensis

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Abstract

Two main biliproteins c-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin were identified and characterized in the blue-green alga Spirulina platensis. The specific absorbance, fluorescence maxima, sub-unit make-up and amino acid composition of the biliproteins in Spirulina platensis resemble those reported for other blue-green algae. However, the minimum molecular weights (44,000 for c-phycocyanin and 38,000 for the allophycocyanin) and the specific extinction coefficients (73, and 58 for c-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin respectively) of these biliproteins were different from these values in other blue-green algae.

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Abbreviations

SDS:

sodium dodecyl sulphate

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Boussiba, S., Richmond, A.E. Isolation and characterization of phycocyanins from the blue-green alga Spirulina platensis . Arch. Microbiol. 120, 155–159 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409102

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