Abstract

Effect of Different Extraction Methods on Vitamin B12 from Blue Green Algae, Spirulina Platensis

Anantharajappa Kumudha and Ravi Sarada

In the present study different methods of extraction of vitamin B12 from Spirulina are compared. Six different extraction procedures were carried out and their effects of on total vitamin B12 and the form of vitamin B12 are presented. The results of the extraction method using KCN for the total vitamin B12 and aqueous extraction for identifying the true form of vitamin B12 in Spirulina are reproducible. The use of cyanide converted all forms of vitamin B12 to a stable cyanocobalamin. Aqueous extraction helped in identifying the true form of vitamin B12 in the algae. Presences of vitamin B12 in the sample were compared by HPLC, microbiological, chemiluminescence and MS/MS methods. The results showed that the method of extraction influences the content of vitamin B12. Cyanocobalamin, a stable form of vitamin B12 was quantified in Spirulina using microbiological assay, chemiluminescence assay and gold nanoparticle based RNA aptamer analysis and found correlation among these methods.