Extraction and Purification of β-carotene from Recombinant Escherichia coli

• Published in: Korean Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Vol. 37; no. 3
• Main Authors: Jo, J.S., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Anh Nguyen, Do Quynh, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Yun, J.K., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Kim, Y.N., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Kim, Y.G., KB Cosmetics, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Kim, S.B., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Seo, Y.G., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Lee, B.H., Whiteview Clinic, Busan, Republic of Korea, Kang, M.K., Nalsinplus, Jinju, Republic of Korea, Kim, C.J., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 01.09.2009
• Subjects: beta-carotene; optimization; PURIFICACION; PURIFICATION; Recombinant Escherichia coli; solvent extraction
• ISSN: 1598-642X

This paper aimed to develop a solvent extraction and purification process to recover high-purified β-carotene from recombinant Escherichia coli. Cells harvested from the culture broth were treated through numerous steps: dehydration, solvent extraction, crystal formation and separation. To optimize the extracting condition, experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of cell disruption, temperature, organic solvents, solvent-biomass ratio on the yield of β-carotene extracted from cells. The result indicated that no significant differences of extraction yield were observed from cells with or without step of cell disruption. Among different extracting solvents, the highest extraction yield of β-carotene, 30.3 mg-β-carotene/g-dry cells, was obtained with isobutyl acetate at solvent-biomass ratio 25 mL/g-dry cells at 50℃. Notably, in case of acetone, the extraction yield was quite low when using acetone itself, but increased almost up to the highest value when combining this solvent and olive oil. The purity of β-carotene crystals obtained from crystallization and separation was 89%. The purity degree was further improved up to 98.5% by treating crude crystals with additional ethanol washing.