A method for isolating serum albumin from blood using food-safe organic acids

초록

Blood is an underutilized by-product of the meat industry and is an abundant source of serum albumin. This protein has wide applicability in food technologies and is increasingly relevant for cultured meat production. Conventional purification methods are effective but complex, energy-intensive, or rely on harsh processing conditions. Here, we describe a simple and food-safe method for isolating bovine serum albumin (BSA) from blood using ethanol in combination with weak organic acids. The approved food additives citric, succinic, and tartaric acids selectively precipitate non-albumin serum proteins while maintaining BSA solubility under high-ethanol conditions. The process yielded 12.5-16.2 mg BSA per mL of serum with purities of 63-81%. Functionally, the isolated BSA had increased emulsifying capacity compared with commercial BSA and supported myoblast viability in serum-free media at comparable levels. Although purity and yield are lower than established industrial methods, this approach offers advantages in simplicity, safety, and processing efficiency, supporting the valorization of slaughterhouse blood for food applications.

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