Isolation of natural red colorants from fermented broth using ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase systems

Abstract

There is a growing demand for natural colorants. This is prompting the search for new alternative and "benign" separation systems allowing higher recoveries, extraction yields, and selectivities. This work investigates the use of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) based on ionic liquids as extraction processes for the recovery of red colorants from the fermented broth of Penicillium purpurogenum DPUA 1275. Several ATPS based on quaternary ammonium and imidazolium were studied in this work aiming at separating the red colorants produced from the remaining colorants and contaminant proteins present in the fermented broth. The results suggest that the red colorants can be isolated by an appropriate manipulation of some of the process conditions, such as the use of quaternary ammonium with short alkyl chains, alkaline media, and short tie-line lengths (extraction point systems with lower concentrations of ionic liquid). These conditions allow large partition coefficients for the red colorants (K red = 24.4 ± 2.3), high protein removal (60.7 ± 2.8 %) and selectivity parameters (S red/prot = 10.05).

Selective and mild fractionation of microalgal proteins and pigments using aqueous two‐phase systems

“…Few authors have studied the partitioning of pigments and carotenoids in ATPSs and they all show that the recovery of these highly hydrophobic molecules is higher when the hydrophobic nature of the top phase is increased . Montalvo‐Hernández et al .…”

“…Thus, IL‐ATPSs potentially have a higher selectivity, flexibility and can provide more efficient separations than commonly used ATPSs composed of polymer‐polymer or polymer‐salt . However, reports on integrated separation processes of biomolecules from biomass using ATPSs and IL‐ATPSs are limited . The application of IL‐ATPSs is generally studied using pure biomolecules (e.g.…”

Transferring of red Monascus pigments from nonionic surfactant to hydrophobic ionic liquid by novel microemulsion extraction

“…Recovery of natural colorants (analogues of Monascus pigments) from a fermented broth using ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase systems is also reported [33]. IL prefers to extraction of nonionic state of ionizable product in an IL-water two-phase system [34].…”

Partition study of textile dye Remazol Yellow Gold RNL in aqueous two-phase systems

“…Ventura et al [36] also observed partition coefficient values greater than unity for natural red colorants isolated from fermented broth. These results show the enormous potential of IL for the removal of dyes from industrial effluents.…”