A method of separating and recovering a poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid or a copolymer of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid and poly-beta-valeric acid from microbial cells

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for separating and recovering PHB or PHB-co-PHV from a bacterial cell. The culture obtained by culturing the bacterial strain is centrifuged to recover the bacterial cell, and the cell is recovered twice in succession with hot water at 40 to 120C and acetone Washing the cells with vacuum, drying and pulverizing them, treating the pulverized cells with an aqueous alkaline solution and proteolytic enzyme solution at 20 to 60C, washing them with a non-polar solvent, and drying. According to the method of the present invention, it is suitable for mass production of PHB and PHB-co-PHV since it is less dangerous, convenient and economical compared with the conventional extraction process using a toxic solvent.