Qualitative and quantitative determination of R-phycoerythrin from Halymenia floresia (Clemente) C. Agardh by polyacrylamide gel using electrophoretic elution technique.

R-Phycoerythrin is one of the phycobiliproteins widely found in seaweeds. In this study, we have shown to extract and purify R-Phycoerythrin from the south east cost Indian red seaweed Halymenia floresia. R-Phycoerythrin was extracted in 50mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The preparative native PAGE purification was employed alternative to the chromatography and therefore can be scaled up efficiently. Both the yield and the purity of R-Phycoerythrin are very effective. The purified R-Phycoerythrin showed a single band on the examination by native PAGE electrophrosis. SDS-PAGE analysis showed five bands at 16kDa, 21kDa, 30kDa, 39kDa and 47kDa which corresponds to the α, β and γ', γ and αβ subunits. This preparative method for R-Phycoerythrin purification can offer a reference for R-Phycoerythrin purification from other marine red macro algae.