Ultrasound-assisted extraction and purification of taurine from the red algae Porphyra yezoensis.

The present study reports on the development of a method using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) during the purification of taurine from Porphyra yezoensis . The Box–Behnken design, which is a widely used form of response surface methodology, was used to investigate the effects of parameters on the UAE process. Three independent variables of taurine purification using UAE were studied including: extraction time, temperature, and ultrasonic power. The results showed that the highest taurine yield of 13.0 mg/g was obtained with an extraction time of 38.3 min, the use of 300.0 W ultrasonic power, and an extraction temperature of 40.5 °C. A comparative study of taurine extraction was also conducted using either ultrasonication or mechanical agitation. The results indicated that the ultrasonic process required 9 times less time at 40 °C to obtain taurine with a similar yield as compared to the conventional extraction method. Therefore, UAE can used as an alternative to the conventional extraction method used during the recovery of taurine from P. yezoensis . The UAE method has several advantages, including that it uses lower extraction temperatures and has a shorter extraction time. The taurine present in the extract supernatant was efficiently separated and purified using a combination of 732 cation exchange chromatography and crystallization. The yield of purified taurine using this process was 1.1%. The structure of the purified taurine was confirmed by FTIR, MS, and NMR. Our findings suggest that P. yezoensis can be used as a taurine-rich food or food material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]