A comparative study of carotenoid extraction from algae in different solvent systems

Algae are a rich source of carotenoids. Carotenoids from algae can be used as a food colorant, food additive, cosmetics, antioxidants and nutraceuticals etc. Selection of solvents for extraction of carotenoid from algae is a tedious job and is generally carried out in organic solvent. In this study, different solvents ranging from organic to aqueous and their mixture were used to achieve the maximum extractability of total carotenoids. The extracted total carotenoids were estimated using UV- visible spectrophotometer and identified by Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RPHPLC)