A greener and simpler lutein extraction process applied to heterotrophically-grown Scenedesmus almeriensis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, the extraction of lutein from the microalgae Scenedesmus almeriensis cultivated under heterotrophic conditions was investigated with the aim of making the process more environmentally friendly, less toxic for subsequent food and feed usage, and with a reduced ecological footprint. The results show that freeze-drying the biomass does not increase lutein recovery (p > 0.05). Additionally, [Formula: see text]C storage of wet biomass is a viable alternative (15 % loss) to -[Formula: see text]C storage. Ethanolic KOH solution was found to be more effective (+32.8 %) for lutein extraction compared to aqueous solution, although saponification ultimately did not provide benefits for lutein extraction. Among the solvents compared, ethanol (0.85 ± 0.01 mg [Formula: see text]) performed as well as acetone (0.91 ± 0.11 mg [Formula: see text]) or isopropanol (0.87 ± 0.01 mg [Formula: see text]) and was better than methanol (0.61 ± 0.01 mg [Formula: see text]) or 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (0.38 ± 0.08 mg [Formula: see text]). In addition, a single bead-beating round allows for the recovery of [Formula: see text] % of the pigments, and the maceration step appears facultative. Ethanolic extracts remained stable at both [Formula: see text]C and –[Formula: see text]C for at least one month. All these findings were agglomerated and proposed as a streamlined protocol. Finally, it was observed that cells of S. almeriensis grown under heterotrophic conditions offer less disruption resistance than their autotrophic counterparts.
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
Award: G7799207878
OpenAlex ID: W7140896776