A way to extract pigments from microalgae for use in food supplements has been outlined by scientists, who think the method could overcome the difficulties in obtaining such pigments from natural sources.
Writing in the journal
Agronomy Research, the method used a crude cell suspension of Chlorella microalgae, which was then air-dried after disintegrating the cell membrane using ultrasonic extraction techniques.
The team from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPBPU) found the highest pigment content in ethanol extracts was observed after 30 min at 45−50 °C.
“The obtained biomass with high carotenoid levels can be used in various sectors of the food and pharmaceutical industries as a dietary supplement to reduce vitamin A deficiency for children and adults,” explains Yulia Bazarnova, Director of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies at the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology SPbPU.