Microalgae Extraction Using Vegetable Oil Polarity Modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for extracting fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds from microalgae biomass, particularly for human or animal consumption, are inadequate as they often use organic solvents unsuitable for consumption and do not provide a modular process for both types of compounds.
Innovation Solution
A process involving mixing microalgae biomass with vegetable oil containing an amphiphilic adjuvant, followed by ultrasonic treatment or electromagnetic microwave treatment, modulates the extraction of both fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds using specific power and temperature parameters, ensuring the solvent is natural and suitable for direct consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If organic solvents (e.g., hexane) are used for lipid extraction, then extraction efficiency is improved, but the extract becomes unsuitable for consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the solvent from synthetic organic solvents to natural vegetable oils, maintaining extraction efficiency while ensuring consumption safety. The vegetable oils serve as safe, edible solvents that eliminate harmful residues in the final extract.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vegetable oils that can be easily discarded or reused after extraction, replacing expensive and hazardous organic solvents. The vegetable oils serve as single-use or limited-use extraction media that leave no harmful residues.
2Device complexity
If a single extraction process is used, then process simplicity is maintained, but both fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds cannot be extracted simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal extraction system using vegetable oils that can extract both fat-soluble compounds (lipids, vitamins) and water-soluble compounds (amino acids, sugars) in a single process, eliminating the need for separate extraction steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The vegetable oil acts as an intermediary substance that bridges the extraction of both fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds. The amphiphilic nature of certain vegetable oil components allows them to interact with and extract both types of compounds simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process efficiently extracts a range of fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds from microalgae, producing a pure extract suitable for direct consumption without residual organic solvents, with optimal organoleptic qualities and nutritional composition.
Implementation Method 1
a step of extracting said liposoluble and water-soluble compounds by an ultrasonic treatment
Implementation Method 2
an extraction step of said fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds by treatment with electromagnetic microwaves
Data Source
Figure 1A~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of converting algal biomass. The present invention relates to a method for obtaining fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds from a biomass of eukaryotic or prokaryotic microalgae (cyanobacteria), and the oil obtained by said method and the uses thereof, particularly in the food and food supplement sectors.