Lutein production from biomass: marigold flowers versus microalgae.

Jian-Hao Lin, Duu-Jong Lee, Jo-Shu Chang

Journal: Bioresource technology 2015;184():421-428

PMID: 25446782

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Microalgae have faster growth rates and more free lutein than marigold flowers, the current source of lutein. However, no commercial lutein production uses microalgae. This review compares lutein content, cultivation, harvesting, cell disruption, and extraction stages of lutein production using marigold flowers and those using microalgae as feedstock. The lutein production rate of microalgae is 3-6 times higher than that of marigold flowers. To produce 1 kg of pure lutein, marigolds need more land and water, but require less nutrients (N, P, K) and less energy than microalgae. Since lutein is tightly bound in microalgae and microalgae are small, cell disruption and subsequent extraction stages consume a considerable amount of energy. Research and development of affordable lutein production from microalgae are discussed.

Address: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.09.099

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MeSH Terms: Biomass, Biotechnology, Flowers, Lutein, Microalgae, Tagetes