Conventional methods of astaxanthin extraction from Haematococcus pluvialis biomass use organic solvents, which are potentially hazardous and toxic. Supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) extraction technology has been widely used as an alternative to conventional organic solvents in astaxanthin recovery processes because of its high efficiency and speed, as well as greater sustainability. Ethanol is often used as a polar co-solvent to improve the solubility and selectivity of astaxanthin in CO2. A possible process for the production of marketable astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation is recapitulated below [1].
Fig. 1 Flow chart of a possible astaxanthin production process
* Supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) extraction is an application of the Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) process. Supercritical fluid extraction is a separation technique that utilizes a supercritical fluid solvent for extraction. Carbon dioxide is the most commonly used supercritical fluid. Supercritical fluids offer a wider range of useful properties than conventional Soxhlet extraction. It eliminates the use of organic solvents, thus reducing their storage, disposal and environmental concerns. During extraction, lipids and waxes have much higher diffusion coefficients in supercritical fluids than in liquids, allowing for faster extraction. In addition, supercritical fluids have no surface tension and are much less viscous than liquids, which helps supercritical fluids penetrate into small pores where liquids cannot.
In addition to supplying high quality astaxanthin products, Alfa Chemistry is also committed to astaxanthin related research. For more information about astaxanthin, please feel free to contact us.
Reference
- Jannel, Samuel & Caro, Yanis & Bermudes, Marc & Petit, Thomas. Novel Insights into the Biotechnological Production of Haematococcus pluvialis-Derived Astaxanthin: Advances and Key Challenges to Allow Its Industrial Use as Novel Food Ingredient. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2020, 8, 48.
