Bioprocess. Biosyst. Eng.

A study was made of the partition and purification of alpha-amylase from a culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis in the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-citrate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). Factors that influenced the partition of the protein in this system, including the molecular weight of the PEG, the tie line length of ATPS, the pH value and the sodium chloride concentration, were investigated. Purification of alpha-amylase was attained with a purification factor (PF) of 1.8 and 90% yield at pH 6.0 in a PEG1000-citrate ATPS with short tie line length. By utilizing the salt-out effect of neutral salt, the purification of alpha-amylase was further improved to 2.0 of PF and 80% yield in a PEG3350-citrate ATPS with 4% sodium chloride.A study was made of the partition and purification of alpha-amylase from a culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis in the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-citrate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). Factors that influenced the partition of the protein in this system, including the molecular weight of the PEG, the tie line length of ATPS, the pH value and the sodium chloride concentration, were investigated. Purification of alpha-amylase was attained with a purification factor (PF) of 1.8 and 90% yield at pH 6.0 in a PEG1000-citrate ATPS with short tie line length. By utilizing the salt-out effect of neutral salt, the purification of alpha-amylase was further improved to 2.0 of PF and 80% yield in a PEG3350-citrate ATPS with 4% sodium chloride