Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin

C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a photosynthetic pigment found in cyanobacteria, notably in <i>Arthrospira</i> species. The extraction of phycocyanobilin (PCB), the chromophore of C-PC, is a common approach to address the instability of C-PC under light, heat, and acidic conditions. Methanol is...

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Main Authors: Won-Kyu Lee, In-Yung Sunwoo, Junseong Kim, Yong-Kyun Ryu, Eun-Jeong Koh, Taeho Kim, Woon-Yong Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11440
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author Won-Kyu Lee
In-Yung Sunwoo
Junseong Kim
Yong-Kyun Ryu
Eun-Jeong Koh
Taeho Kim
Woon-Yong Choi
author_facet Won-Kyu Lee
In-Yung Sunwoo
Junseong Kim
Yong-Kyun Ryu
Eun-Jeong Koh
Taeho Kim
Woon-Yong Choi
author_sort Won-Kyu Lee
collection DOAJ
description C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a photosynthetic pigment found in cyanobacteria, notably in <i>Arthrospira</i> species. The extraction of phycocyanobilin (PCB), the chromophore of C-PC, is a common approach to address the instability of C-PC under light, heat, and acidic conditions. Methanol is typically used for PCB extraction. However, its use poses challenges for industrial applications owing to the need for solvent removal, extensive purification, and safety validation. Therefore, this study proposes ethanol as an alternative to methanol, optimizing the ethanol extraction conditions through response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD) and techno-economic analysis. The parameters evaluated were the extraction temperature, time, and C-PC/solvent ratio. Optimal conditions—68.81 °C, 14.91 h, and a C-PC to solvent ratio of 1:95 (<i>w/v</i>)— yielded a predicted PCB yield of 29.18%, closely aligning with the actual value of 29.67 ± 1.33%. A techno-economic analysis for pilot-scale PCB production showed that optimized ethanol extraction could yield 147.13 kg/year with 506 batches, compared with 84.31 kg/year standard methanol extraction with 317 batches. Furthermore, it was evaluated to have a unit production cost of USD 1,413,588/kg, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 53.36%, and a payback time of 1.6 years with increased yields and reduced toxic solvent disposal costs. This study supports scalable PCB production with a natural blue pigment suitable for the food, beverage, and cosmetics industries.
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spelling doaj-art-a031c22ca5de4314babacd307908aa3e2025-08-20T02:50:13ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-12-0114231144010.3390/app142311440Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-PhycocyaninWon-Kyu Lee0In-Yung Sunwoo1Junseong Kim2Yong-Kyun Ryu3Eun-Jeong Koh4Taeho Kim5Woon-Yong Choi6Jeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaJeju Bio Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), 2670, Iljudong-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si 63349, Republic of KoreaC-Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a photosynthetic pigment found in cyanobacteria, notably in <i>Arthrospira</i> species. The extraction of phycocyanobilin (PCB), the chromophore of C-PC, is a common approach to address the instability of C-PC under light, heat, and acidic conditions. Methanol is typically used for PCB extraction. However, its use poses challenges for industrial applications owing to the need for solvent removal, extensive purification, and safety validation. Therefore, this study proposes ethanol as an alternative to methanol, optimizing the ethanol extraction conditions through response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD) and techno-economic analysis. The parameters evaluated were the extraction temperature, time, and C-PC/solvent ratio. Optimal conditions—68.81 °C, 14.91 h, and a C-PC to solvent ratio of 1:95 (<i>w/v</i>)— yielded a predicted PCB yield of 29.18%, closely aligning with the actual value of 29.67 ± 1.33%. A techno-economic analysis for pilot-scale PCB production showed that optimized ethanol extraction could yield 147.13 kg/year with 506 batches, compared with 84.31 kg/year standard methanol extraction with 317 batches. Furthermore, it was evaluated to have a unit production cost of USD 1,413,588/kg, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 53.36%, and a payback time of 1.6 years with increased yields and reduced toxic solvent disposal costs. This study supports scalable PCB production with a natural blue pigment suitable for the food, beverage, and cosmetics industries.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11440<i>Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima</i>C-phycocyaninphycocyanobilinresponse surface methodologycentral composite designtechno-economic analysis
spellingShingle Won-Kyu Lee
In-Yung Sunwoo
Junseong Kim
Yong-Kyun Ryu
Eun-Jeong Koh
Taeho Kim
Woon-Yong Choi
Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
Applied Sciences
<i>Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima</i>
C-phycocyanin
phycocyanobilin
response surface methodology
central composite design
techno-economic analysis
title Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
title_full Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
title_fullStr Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
title_full_unstemmed Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
title_short Process Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis for the Production of Phycocyanobilin from <i>Arthrospira maxima</i>-Derived C-Phycocyanin
title_sort process optimization and techno economic analysis for the production of phycocyanobilin from i arthrospira maxima i derived c phycocyanin
topic <i>Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima</i>
C-phycocyanin
phycocyanobilin
response surface methodology
central composite design
techno-economic analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11440
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