A proposed mechanism for detergent-assisted foam fractionation of lysozyme and cellulase restored with beta-cyclodextrin.

Foam fractionation by itself cannot effectively concentrate hydrophilic proteins such as lysozyme and cellulase. However, the addition of a detergent to a protein solution can increase the foam volume, and thus, the performance of the foam fractionation process. In this article, we propose a possible protein concentration mechanism of this detergent-assisted foam fractionation: A detergent binds to an oppositely charged protein, followed by the detergent-protein complex being adsorbed onto a bubble during aeration.