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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Experimental Protocol for Biodiesel Production with Isolation of Alkenones as Coproducts from Commercial Isochrysis Algal Biomass
Published on: June 24, 2016
Evaluation of different solvent mixtures in esterifiable lipids extraction from microalgae Botryococcus braunii for
Pamela Hidalgo1, Gustavo Ciudad2, Rodrigo Navia3
1Scientific and Technological Bioresources Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile.
Abstract:
Non-polar and polar solvents as well as their mixtures were tested for the extraction of microalgae lipids and thus, to evaluate their effect on total and esterifiable lipids extraction yields with potential to be converted to biodiesel. The obtained results show an increase in lipids and esterifiable lipids extraction yields when non-polar and polar solvent mixtures were used. The higher esterifiable lipids extraction yield was 19.2%wt (based on dry biomass) using a chloroform-methanol mixture (75%v/v of methanol), corresponding to a 98.9%wt esterifiable lipids extraction. In addition, esterifiable lipids extraction yield of 18.9%wt (based on dry biomass) was obtained when a petroleum ether-methanol mixture (75%v/v of methanol) was used, corresponding to a 96.9%wt esterifiable lipids extraction.
