Pulsed electric energy and ultrasonication assisted green solvent extraction of bio-molecules from different microalgal species

The effects of physical treatments (pulsed electrical fields (PEF), high voltage electrical discharges (HVED) and ultrasonication (US)) on aqueous extraction of carbohydrates and proteins, and ethanolic extraction of chlorophyll a from three microalgal species (Nannochloropsis sp., P. tricornutum and P. kessleri) have been studied. The total energy consumption of 530 kJ/kg suspension was applied for each treatment. For studied species, HVED was the most effective for extraction of carbohydrates, while US was the most effective for extraction of proteins and chlorophyll a. The observed differences for studied species can reflect the more fragile cell wall structure for P. tricornutum as compared with Nannochloropsis sp. or P. kessleri. The applied PEF, HVED and US treatments along with combinations of aqueous extraction of carbohydrates and proteins, and ethanolic extraction of pigments can be used in future implementations of selective extraction of valuable bio-molecules from microalgae.