title: Innovative Alternative Technologies to Extract Carotenoids from Microalgae and Seaweeds.
abstract: Marine microalgae and seaweeds (microalgae) represent a sustainable source of various bioactive natural carotenoids, including β-carotene, lutein, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin and fucoxanthin. Recently, the large-scale production of carotenoids from algal sources has gained significant interest with respect to commercial and industrial applications for health, nutrition, and cosmetic applications. Although conventional processing technologies, based on solvent extraction, offer a simple approach to isolating carotenoids, they suffer several, inherent limitations, including low efficiency (extraction yield), selectivity (purity), high solvent consumption, and long treatment times, which have led to advancements in the search for innovative extraction technologies. This comprehensive review summarizes the recent trends in the extraction of carotenoids from microalgae and seaweeds through the assistance of different innovative techniques, such as pulsed electric fields, liquid pressurization, supercritical fluids, subcritical fluids, microwaves, ultrasounds, and high-pressure homogenization. In particular, the review critically analyzes technologies, characteristics, advantages, and shortcomings of the different innovative processes, highlighting the differences in terms of yield, selectivity, and economic and environmental sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 3083 Bundoora, Australia. mahesha.poojary@unicam.it.|Chemistry Section, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, via S. Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy. mahesha.poojary@unicam.it.
authors.forename: Mahesha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Poojary
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Food Science Area, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de València, Avda. Vicent Andrés Estellés, s/n, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain. francisco.barba@uv.es.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Pole of Chemical Engineering, University of Genoa, via Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genoa, Italy. Bahar.Aliakbarian@unige.it.
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aliakbarian
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy. fdonsi@unisa.it.|ProdAl Scarl, via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy. fdonsi@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donsì
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy. gpataro@unisa.it.|ProdAl Scarl, via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy. gpataro@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pataro
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, 3083 Bundoora, Australia. daniel.dias@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 671 Sneydes Road, 3030 Werribee, VIC, Australia. Pablo.Juliano@csiro.au.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juliano
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry*; D025924:Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008872:Microwaves; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: carotenoids; electrotechnologies; green processing; marine drugs; marine microalgae; microwave-assisted extraction; nonconventional extraction; pulsed electric field-assisted extraction; seaweeds; supercritical fluid extraction