SDS-PAGE ELECTROPHORESIS AND SOLUBILITY ‎CHARACTERISTICS OF CASEIN – Chlorella Vulgaris PROTEIN ‎ISOLATE CO-PRECIPITATE MIXTURES

Protein isolate was obtained from microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, the protein percent in the isolated protein was 56%. A solution (3.5% protein) of Chlorella vulgaris protein isolate (CPI) was blended with fresh skim milk (pH 6.6) at volume ratios of 5:95 , 10:90 and 15:85 (vol:vol) Chlorella protein solution to fresh skim milk and the protein mixtures were co-precipitated at pH4 using 2N-Hcl. The obtained three Casein – Chlorella protein co-precipitate mixtures were separated electrophoretically using SDS – PAGE. The molecular weights of most separated mixtures had intermediate values between molecular weight of cow′s milk casein and chlorella protein. Solubilities of the obtained three mixtures were higher than that of the cow′s milk casein at pH6, ranged from 80 to 87.1% comparing with cow′s milk casein (60%). Conclusively, these results suggested that, casein – chlorella protein mixtures may find their uses in acidic foods.