Extraction of Metabolites from Microalgae with Spark Discharges

Microalgae are considered a promising source for valuable compounds, interesting as biofuels, nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals. The therapeutic potential of extracts from microalgae lies in their rich content of proteins, lipids, carotenoids and polysaccharides. Main obstacle for extracting these compounds is a strong and rigid cell wall, consisting of glycoproteins and complex carbohydrates, which results in physical and chemical stability. Therefore, standard extraction methods suffer from several disadvantages, such as the need for environmental harmful solvents, long treatment times or high energy demand. Hence, plasma treatments might be a promising alternative. In particular, a spark discharge plasma source that was developed, proofed to be successful
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