Fe(III)-based immobilized metal–affinity chromatography (IMAC) method for the separation of the catechol siderophore from Bacillus tequilensis CD36

Catechol siderophore plays an important role in microbial ecology, agriculture, and medicine, but its research is often limited by the difficulty in acquisition of it in large quantities. Based on evidence from the coordination chemistry and chemical biology, catechol siderophore could chelate Fe3+ with high affinity. Therefore, Fe(III)-based immobilized metal–affinity chromatography (IMAC) was applied to capture siderophore from the culture filtrate of Bacillus tequilensis CD36. The ethanol-precipitated sample and the separated sample from Fe(III)-based IMAC were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. According to the result, the pure siderophore DHB-Gly-Thr could be extracted from the ethanol-precipitated sample. Compared with other purifications, Fe(III)-based IMAC was convenient and had fewer steps. In addition, it also reduced the use of toxic chemical solvents in some traditional extraction process, such as extraction and ion exchange chromatography. Fe(III)-based IMAC was successfully used in separation of the catechol siderophore from B. tequilensis CD36. The results revealed that Fe(III)-based IMAC was an efficient and environmentally friendly method for the separation and purification of catechol siderophore.