resumo
Spirulina sp. is a cyanobacterium rich in essential amino acids and pigments such as chlorophyll a, xanthophylls, and phycocyanin. Besides many other applications, chlorophyll a and its derivatives are being studied as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment. In this work, two methodologies of solid-liquid extraction were developed, and their performance compared; one using conventional organic solvents and the other using aqueous solutions of ionic liquids (ILs) and surfactants. It was found that an aqueous solution of an ammonium-based ionic liquid was able to increase the yield of extraction of chlorophyll a from Spirulina maxima in 25% compared with the conventional methodology using methanol. Besides, the proposed alternative methodology allows the separation of chlorophyll a from xanthophylls using a simple liquid-liquid extraction. The IL can be recovered by backextraction using ethyl acetate, while the chlorophyll derivative is shown to retain its ability to generate oxygen singlets, which is essential to its potential application as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy.
palavras-chave
PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY; IONIC LIQUIDS; AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS; EXTRACTION; PHEOPHORBIDE; CAROTENOIDS; PLATENSIS; MEMBRANES; GROWTH; CO2
categoria
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Engineering, Chemical
autores
Martins, M; Albuquerque, CM; Pereira, CF; Coutinho, JAP; Neves, MGPMS; Pinto, DCGA; Faustino, MAF; Ventura, SPM
nossos autores
Carla Patrícia Fernandes Pereira
Estudante de doutoramento
Margarida Martins
Estudante de doutoramento
Sónia Patrícia Marques Ventura
Professor Auxiliaragradecimentos
This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 and UIDP/50011/2020, financed by the national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES. Thanks are also due to the University of Aveiro and FCT/MCT for the financial support of LAQVREQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020). The authors also thank FCT for the project PTDC/BTA-BTA/30914/2017 and the doctoral grant SFRH/BD/122220/2016 of M. Martins.