Variation in lipid extractability by solvent in microalgae. Additional criterion for selecting species and strains for biofuel production from microalgae.
The lipid extractability of 14 microalgae species and strains was assessed using organic solvents (methanol and chloroform). The high variability detected indicated the potential for applying this parameter as an additional criterion for microalgae screening in industrial processes such as biofuel production from microalgae. Species without cell walls presented higher extractability than species with cell walls. Analysis of cell integrity by flow cytometry and staining with propidium iodide showed a significant correlation between higher resistance to the physical treatments of cell rupture by sonication and the lipid extractability of the microalgae. The results highlight the cell wall as a determining factor in the inter- and intraspecific variability in lipid extraction treatments.
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. Electronic address: hmendoza@itccanarias.org.
Héctor
H
Mendoza
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
Laura
L
Carmona
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
Patricia
P
Assunção
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
Karen
K
Freijanes
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
Adelina
A
de la Jara
Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, Pozo Izquierdo s/n (35119), Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
Eduardo
E
Portillo
Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology Department, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n, San Cristóbal de La Laguna (38200), Tenerife, 382 Canary Islands, Spain.
Alicia
A
Torres
D056804:Biofuels; D002725:Chloroform / Q000737:chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013010:Sonication
D056804:Biofuels; D008055:Lipids; D012997:Solvents; D002725:Chloroform; D000432:Methanol
Extractability; Fatty acids; Flow cytometry; Microalgae; Screening