High yield isolation of lutein from high water content Chlorella Vulgaris: A water-plasma and three-phase partitioning approach

Abstract

Extracting lutein from microalgae is a promising approach for lutein production due to the unique advantages of microalgae than terrestrial plants, including superior photosynthetic efficiency, rapid growth rate and potential for carbon mitigation. However, conventional extraction methods from microalgae usually include the utilization of traditional solvents or harsh reaction conditions, resulting in environmental impact and high energy consumption. To address these challenges, an innovative strategy integrating water-plasma with three-phase partitioning (TPP) methods has been proposed for extracting lutein from high water content microalgae. This approach utilizes the reactive species generated by water-plasma, which interact effectively with algal cellular components, while TTP further improved extraction efficiency. Under optimized conditions of 12.9 % DKP concentration, 176.9 W treatment power and 8.8 min treatment time of this method achieved a maximum lutein extraction yield of 0.287 mg/g microalgae. Importantly, this lutein production process eliminates the need for the drying of microalgae biomass, thereby significantly diminishing energy consumption and enhancing the economical scalability of lutein production.