SPIRULINA SUBSALSA. Z15 IS AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF PHYCOCYANIN FROM A NATIVE STRAIN OF MEXICO: PROSPECTION FOR FUNCTIONAL FOOD INGREDIENT AND BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION

Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a bright blue color pigment found in cyanobacteria, which has been in high demand for its health benefits in the global market.It varies in quality according to its purity values and can be used in analytical, cosmetic, or food grades.So, alternative sources of phycocyanin, efficient extraction, and purification are essential research areas.The environmentally friendly extraction processes lead to the development of sustainable technologies that manufacture pharmaceutical products and simultaneously carbohydrate and protein-rich biomass for bioethanol generation.In this work, we reported that Spirulina subsalsa (Z15), a native Mexican strain, is a potential source of phycocyanin production and purification with few steps.This strain was isolated from an aquaculture tank near Lake Chapala, Mexico.Cultivation under laboratory conditions showed a growth rate of 4.50.1 g/L biomass, producing higher phycocyanin 264.6 mg/g (26.46%) in the crude extract.Then, we proceeded to purification directly with ultracentrifugation (50kD), omitting the ammonium sulfate precipitation step before Ionic Chromatography.We found a higher quantity and recovery rate of 24.91% after the ultracentrifugation process but a bit less purity like 1.560.1,which is acceptable for food grade.Phycocyanin is evaluated here as a natural colorant that can be used in edible drink formulations with a dry lyophilized form to avoid contaminations.This pigment has prospected for a functional, and the rest of the biomass used for fermentation to obtain bioethanol.