Carotenoids are widespread substances with important physiological roles, and some of them, such as lutein, astaxanthin, or vaucherioxanthin, are high-value products that can be used as high-quality food color and antioxidants, and some have an alleged role in the prevention of disorders such as AMD. Carotenoid extracts are currently obtained from plant sources, but microalgae have been demonstrated to be a competitive source likely to become an alternative. The extraction of carotenoids from microalgae possesses specific problems that arise from the different structure and composition of the source biomass. Here is presented a method for the recovery of carotenoid extracts from microalgal biomass in the kilogram scale.
Keywords: Carotenoid; Extraction; Microalgae; Preparative scale.