Phycoerythrin is a major light-harvesting pigment of red algae and cyanobacteria 
that is widely used as a fluorescent probe and analytical reagent. In this 
paper, B-phycoerythrin and R-phycocyanin in native state, from the red alga 
Porphyridium cruentum were obtained by an inexpensive and simple process. The 
best results of this purification procedure were scaled up by a factor of 13 to 
a large preparative level using an anionic chromatographic column of DEAE 
cellulose. Gradient elution with acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.5) was 
used. In these conditions both 32% of B-phycoerythrin and 12% of R-phycocyanin 
contained in the biomass of the microalgae was recovered. B-phycoerythrin was 
homogeneous as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly-acrylamide gel 
electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), yielding three migrating bands corresponding to its 
three subunits, consistent with the (alpha beta)(6)gamma subunit composition 
characteristic of this biliprotein and the spectroscopic characterization of 
B-PE (UV-visible absorption and emission spectroscopy; steady-state and 
polarization fluorescence), is accompanied. Finally, a preliminary cost analysis 
of the recovery process is presented.