Methods for Extraction of Valuable Products from Microalgae Biomass

Microalgae are regarded as a promising and feasible source of diverse products for application in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and chemical industries. Such products include biofuels, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, enzymes, polysaccharides, and proteins. The recovery of products from algal biomass is a matter of constant development and progress. In the present chapter, the standard techniques for the extraction of biofuels and high-value metabolites from microalgae in the laboratory are reviewed. Traditional methods such as solvent extraction, as well as novel techniques, like supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction, are presented in this work, including the suitability of these methods for specific types of metabolites. Pretreatment techniques for the enhancement of product recovery are discussed. This chapter is intended as a reference of the existing methods for the researcher looking forward to study the production of metabolites by microalgae, in order to aid the selection of a suitable technique for specific metabolites.