Centrifugal partition chromatography as a tool for preparative purification of pea albumin with enhanced yields.

Abstract A new procedure including the use of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) is proposed to purify PA1b and its isoforms. These pea ( Pisum sativum L .) seed proteins are toxic against weevils and can be used as an environment-friendly insecticide. CPC was applied to a whole albumin fraction prepared from pea flour. The butanol:aqueous TFA system used in CPC allowed the separation of PA1b from other albumins and a degree of purification above 95%. Compared to analytical procedures based on methanol extraction, anion exchange and then reversed-phase chromatography (RPC), CPC recovered PA1b in much better yield, which is indispensable for large-scale purification of a biodegradable insecticide.