Process for recovering glucagon from pancreas glands

摘要

There is disclosed herein a process for the purification of glucagon from a glucagon salt cake containing pancreas gland-sourced glucagon, which comprises (1) dissolving said glucagon salt cake in an aqueous medium containing a water-miscible organic solvent; (2) contacting the glucagon salt cake solution with a hydrophobic adsorption support at a pH less than about 4 or greater than about 7.5 and at conditions under which the glucagon is adsorbed on said hydrophobic adsorption support; (3) eluting glucagon from said hydrophobic adsorption support with an aqueous solution containing a water-miscible organic solvent to obtain a first glucagon-containing solution; (4) contacting a solution containing glucagon eluted from said hydrophobic adsorption support, said solution having a pH of from about 7.5 to about 10.5, with an anion exchange support at conditions under which the glucagon is adsorbed on said anion exchange support; (5) eluting glucagon from said anion exchange support to obtain a second glucagon-containing solution; and (6) recovering glucagon having increased purity.