초록
<P><I>Haematococcus pluvialis</I> (<I>H. pluvialis</I>) is a natural source of the food colorant astaxanthin. It is characterised by a thick resistant cell wall composed of a non-hydrolysable biopolymer, sporopollenin. High energy-consuming mechanical disruption is required to improve the extractability of astaxanthin. As opposed to that, this study uses a novel technology with ionic liquids (ILs) to permeabilise the Haematococcal cyst cell at mild temperatures and improve the extraction of astaxanthin. The study shows that ≥70% astaxanthin can be extracted from intact <I>H. pluvialis</I> cells using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium di-butylphosphate (EMIM DBP) at a concentration of 40% w/w in a water solution and a temperature of 45 °C. Ionic liquids serve as a promising pre-treatment step for extraction of pigments from intact <I>H. pluvialis</I> cells. The results obtained open new avenues for processing of algal biomass.</P><BR><BR><P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Pre-treatment of <I>H. pluvialis</I> with an aqueous ionic liquid solution permeabilises the cell wall and astaxanthin can be subsequently extracted with ethyl acetate without mechanical disruption.<BR><IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c5gc01301a'><BR></P>