Extraction of R-Phycoerythrin from marine macro-algae, Gelidium pusillum, employing consortia of enzymes.

Extraction of phycobiliproteins (R-phycoerythrin, R-PE) from macroalgae is difficult due to the presence of
complex matrix of polysaccharides (agar, cellulose etc.) present in the cell wall which offers major hindrance for
cell disruption. The present study is focused on the identification of suitable process conditions for the extraction
of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) from marine macroalgae, Gelidium pusillum (Stackhouse) Le Jolis., by enzymatic hydrolysis
of polysaccharide-complex present in the macroalgal cell wall. Identification of optimum process conditions
like incubation duration (2,4,6 h), incubation temperature (25, 30, 35, 40 °C) and enzyme to biomass
ratio (0,20,40,60, 80 U/g biomass, fw) was carried out for agarase, cellulase and xylanase. Different relative
proportions of these enzymes in a mixture at different pH (5.8, 6.8, 7.8) values were employed at the most
suitable set of conditions. When employed alone, cellulase resulted in a minimum improvement (6%), agarase
(14%) and xylanase the maximum (16%) on R-PE yield. Presence of cellulase in consortia has resulted in
maximum improvement in R-PE yield (26%) at 25 °C and pH 5.8. Consortia of enzymes were more effective in
improving the yield of biomolecules over the individual enzymes due to efficient hydrolysis of complex cell wall
structure of biomass of Gelidium pusillum macroalgae and can be employed for the extraction of biomolecules also
from other macroalgae.