Natural Red Color From Algae Studied

University researchers from Spain have developed a method of extracting a protein responsible for the red color of Porphyridium cruentum, a microalgae. The researchers are from the University of Granada, the University of Jaén and the Univeristy of Almería. The results of this research were recently included in an article in the Journal of Chromatography (see http://www.elsevier.com/locate/chroma).

The protein, B-phycoerythrin, a fluorescent pigment, might prove useful as food and beverage manufacturers look for more natural options to replace synthetic colorants. The protein's color has been described as "very fluorescent" by the researchers. Many types of marine algae contain proteins that exhibit fluorescent properties. The molecules responsible for this characteristic, chromophores, absorb, reflect and otherwise transmit visible light.

The researchers have established the process for extracting the protein and have described the process as "twice as effective" as methods based on chromatography. In order to prepare for regulatory scrutiny, the scientists are now determining the spectroscopic characteristics of B-phycoerythrin in order to determine how stable it will remain when subjected to various processing conditions. The researchers have also begun investigating how to produce the microalgae in aquaculture systems.

B-phycoerythrin currently finds use as an analytical tool in the medical community as a detection reagent.