Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis with vegetable oils as co-solvent.

Soybean oil and olive oil were investigated as continuous co-solvents for supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis. Without co-solvents, only 25.40+/-0.

Enhanced productivity of Chaetoceros calcitrans in airlift photobioreactors.

The various modes of cultivation of Chaetoceros calcitrans in airlift photobioreactors (ALPBRs) were examined. The batch system illustrated that the airlift configuration was superior to the bubble column as the airlift supported the circulation of the cell within the system, leading to a better light utilization. The cultivations in both semi-continuous and continuous systems resulted in a high cell productivity, although the steady state cell concentrations in both systems were lower than that obtained from the batch system.