Production and partial purification of streptokinase from Streptococcus pyogenes

Streptokinase is as effective as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in treating acute myocardial infarction and it is certainly more cost-effective. In view of the relatively recent availability of the competing recombinant tPA, skepticism is being expressed about the continued viability of streptokinase therapy. Despite this research on streptokinase continues, and it remains a vital affordable therapy especially in the world’s poorer healthcare systems. Our present study focused on production of streptokinase from Streptococcus pyogenes species and partial purification of streptokinase by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and column chromatography. The enzyme was quantified by Lowry’s method and its electrophoretic mobility and molecular weight were determined by SDS-PAGE.