Centrifugal partition extraction of β-carotene from Dunaliella salina for efficient and biocompatible recovery of metabolites.

A biocompatible extraction method for β-carotene recovery from the microalga Dunaliella salina was studied. The centrifugal partition extraction was used for liquid-liquid mass transfer intensification during continuous extraction. Different solvents and process parameters were compared. Ethyl oleate extraction with 5% dichloromethane achieved a 65% β-carotene recovery with the least amount of cell damage as more than 65% of the cells remained viable as demonstrated by photosynthesis activity measurements.