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. 2023 Dec 21;14(1):2.
doi: 10.3390/membranes14010002.

Nisin Purification from a Cell-Free Supernatant by Electrodialysis in a Circular Economy Framework

Alexandre Rulence  1   2   3 , Véronique Perreault  2   3 , Jacinthe Thibodeau  2   3 , Loubna Firdaous  1 , Ismail Fliss  2 , Laurent Bazinet  2   3
Affiliations

Nisin Purification from a Cell-Free Supernatant by Electrodialysis in a Circular Economy Framework

Alexandre Rulence et al. Membranes (Basel). .

Abstract

Nisin, an antimicrobial peptide produced by Lactococcus lactis strains, is a promising natural preservative for the food industry and an alternative to antibiotics for the pharmaceutical industry against Gram-positive bacteria. Nisin purification is commonly performed using salting out and chromatographic techniques, which are characterized by their low yields, the use of solvents and the production of large volumes of effluents. In the present work, the purification of nisin from a cell-free supernatant (CFS), after the production of nisin by fermentation on a whey permeate medium, was studied using ammonium sulfate precipitation and electrodialysis (ED) as a promising eco-friendly process for nisin purification. Results showed an increase in nisin precipitation using a 40% ammonium sulfate saturation (ASS) level with a purification fold of 73.8 compared with 34.5 and no purification fold for a 60% and 20% ASS level, respectively. The results regarding nisin purification using ED showed an increase in nisin purification and concentration fold, respectively, of 21.8 and 156 when comparing the final product to the initial CFS. Nisin-specific activity increased from 75.9 ± 4.4 to 1652.7 ± 236.8 AU/mg of protein. These results demonstrated the effectiveness of ED coupled with salting out for nisin purification compared with common techniques. Furthermore, the process was noteworthy for its relevance in a circular economy scheme, as it does not require any solvents and avoids generating polluting effluents. It can be employed for the purification of nisin and the recovery of salts from salting out, facilitating their reuse in a circular economy.

Keywords: antimicrobial activity; circular economy; electrodialysis; nisin purification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of nisin production and purification from a cell-free supernatant (CFS) using ammonium sulfate salting out and electrodialysis (ED).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Configuration of the electrodialysis cell. CEM: cation exchange membrane; AEM: anion exchange membrane. C+: cations, A−: anions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Evolution of (a) nisin and KCl solution conductivity, (b) pH of nisin and KCl solution and (c) antimicrobial activity of the nisin solution during demineralization process. (●) nisin solution and (○) KCl solution.
Figure 4
Figure 4
UPLC peak area of nisin in the initial CFS, after salting out and after ED purification. Nisin peak was confirmed by MS according to its 3500 Da molecular weight. Columns with a different number of asterisks (*) are significantly different at p < 0.05 (t-test).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Nisin purification by ED after salting out and further treatment of saline effluents produced in the context of a circular economy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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