Separation and purification of astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma by preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography

Xiping Du; Congcong Dong; Kai Wang; Zedong Jiang; Yanhong Chen; Yuanfan Yang; Feng Chen; Hui Ni

doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.06.042

Separation and purification of astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma by preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2016 Sep 1:1029-1030:191-197. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.06.042. Epub 2016 Jun 25.

Authors

Xiping Du¹, Congcong Dong², Kai Wang², Zedong Jiang¹, Yanhong Chen¹, Yuanfan Yang¹, Feng Chen³, Hui Ni⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Food and Bioengineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Key Laboratory of Systemic Utilization and In-depth Processing of Economic Seaweed, Xiamen Southern Ocean Technology Center of China, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China.
² College of Food and Bioengineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China.
³ College of Food and Bioengineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Key Laboratory of Systemic Utilization and In-depth Processing of Economic Seaweed, Xiamen Southern Ocean Technology Center of China, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States.
⁴ College of Food and Bioengineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China; Key Laboratory of Systemic Utilization and In-depth Processing of Economic Seaweed, Xiamen Southern Ocean Technology Center of China, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, China. Electronic address: Nihui1973@yahoo.com.cn.

PMID: 27433984
DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.06.042

Abstract

An effective high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method was established for the preparative isolation and purification of astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma. With a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-acetone-ethanol-water (1:1:1:1, v/v/v/v), 100mg crude extract of P. rhodozyma was separated to yield 20.6mg of astaxanthin at 92.0% purity. By further one step silica gel column chromatography, the purity reached 99.0%. The chemical structure of astaxanthin was confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC), UV spectroscopy scanning, high performance liquid chromatography with a ZORBAX SB-C18 column and a Waters Nova-pak C18 column, and ESI/MS/MS.

Keywords: Astaxanthin; High-speed counter-current chromatography; Phaffia rhodozyma; Separation and purification.

MeSH terms

Acetone / chemistry
Antioxidants / analysis
Antioxidants / isolation & purification*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Chromatography, Thin Layer
Countercurrent Distribution / instrumentation
Countercurrent Distribution / methods*
Equipment Design
Ethanol / chemistry
Hexanes / chemistry
Solvents / chemistry
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Xanthophylls / analysis
Xanthophylls / isolation & purification
Yeasts / chemistry*

Substances

Antioxidants
Hexanes
Solvents
Xanthophylls
Acetone
n-hexane
Ethanol
astaxanthine