JPH0527619B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a method for producing carotenoid-containing lipids from algae such as spirulina and chlorella, and provides a method for quickly and easily extracting lipids from algae while selectively excluding chlorophyll. Algae, which is the subject of the present invention, is a general term for lower plants that grow in water, have assimilable pigments, and carry out photosynthesis.
Taxonomically, it is as follows. However, specific examples are shown in the box. 1 Blue-green algae (Spirulina, Agariculina) 2 Green algae (Aonori, Myr, Chlorella, Scenedesmus) 3 Brown algae (Kelp, Wakame, Hijiki, Arame) 4 Red algae (Amanita, Amanita, Funori) 5 Diatoms (Arachnoid, Amanita) 6 Plasinoalgae (Pyramimonas, Platymonas) 7 Yellow-green algae (Furusenmo, Fucinasimidoro) 8 Golden-colored algae (Hikarimo) 9 Cryptoalgae (Chloomonas) 10 Chloroflagellates (Shyatonella) 11 Dinoflagellates (Serratium, Goniolachus) 12 Euglena algae ( Among the algae mentioned above, kelp, wakame, hijiki, morning glory, and amanita are familiar to the Japanese diet. According to the formal academic system, blue-green algae - Chlorocycetes - Chlorochocoformes - Chlorellaceae), Chlorella (same, Green algae - Chlorochocochiformes - Chlorellaceae), and Scenedesmus (green algae - Chlorochocochiformes - Coelastolaceae), etc. Since the protein content per dry algal body reaches over 60%, it was initially expected to have potential as a new protein resource. However, centrifugation or over-operation is required when harvesting from the culture solution, which naturally limits the processing capacity and increases the production price (for example, the production price of spirulina is higher than that of soybeans and fishmeal used for feed). (approximately 20 times the difference, which is a considerable difference)
Furthermore, because chlorella has a tough cell wall and has problems with digestibility, it is currently used more as a processed health food or food additive than as a food resource. In other words, chlorella, spirulina, etc. are made into tablets as health medicines, and the latter in particular is used for Nishikigoi, goldfish,
In addition to being used in some fish feed as a coloring agent for shrimp, etc., phycocyanin, a blue pigment specifically contained within the algae, has been commercialized as a natural coloring agent. In general, the lipids contained in algae consist of neutral lipids and complex lipids, the former containing triglycerides, carotenoids, hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, etc., and the latter containing phospholipids, glycolipids, sulfur-containing lipids, etc.; Contains abundant carotenoids. For example, 100 g of spirulina contains 650 mg of carotenoids, the main components of which are β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and sugar carotenoids, and β-carotene is absorbed in the intestine to become vitamin A (i.e., the precursor vitamin A)
Therefore, β-carotene and vitamin A are nutritionally important, and both β-carotene and vitamin A have recently attracted attention for their cancer-suppressing effects. The yellow carotenoid zeaxanthin is used as a color enhancer for carp and goldfish, and the red sugar carotenoid may have antibacterial activity, so it is expected to be used as a drug. Furthermore, the glyceroglycolipids contained in the complex lipids of Spirulina may have antitumor effects, and can be expected to be used as a drug. However, at present, research on algae is often focused on proteins and polysaccharides, and there are few attempts to actively extract lipids from algae and utilize them. For example, in the production of the protein pigment phycocyanin from Spirulina mentioned above, the phycocyanin is recovered by elution into water, but the residue containing lipids is separated and removed by centrifugation and then discarded or, at most, used as feed. It is only used as a. However, as mentioned above, the lipids contained in algae are rich in useful components, including carotenoids such as β-carotene, which have anticancer effects, and if lipids can be extracted from algae, they can be used as health foods. High value-added products such as pigment oils and medicines can be made. In this way, the extraction of lipids from algae opens the door to processed foods and nutritionally enriched feed, but on the other hand, algae that carry out photosynthesis naturally contain a large amount of chlorophyll (for example, spirulina). (2000mg of chlorophyll is contained per 100g), and it is difficult to avoid this large amount of chlorophyll being mixed in at the same time when extracting lipids. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-16189 discloses a method for extracting lycopene, a hydrocarbon carotenoid, from fungi classified as algae using n-hexane or petroleum ether. As can be seen, the methods for extracting lipids containing carotenoids from algae include ethanol,
A multistage solvent extraction method using common organic solvents such as acetone, ether, chloroform, methylene chloride, or n-hexane is performed, but since chlorophyll is easily soluble in the above organic solvents, it is difficult to extract lipids. Chlorophyll must also be extracted at the same time, and the reality is that there is no solvent extraction method that can selectively remove chlorophyll alone. By the way, chlorophyll contained in this algae causes photosensitivity, and cases of damage to livestock due to feed feeding have been known for a long time, and it has recently been widely known that eating too many chlorella tablets can cause health problems in humans. It became a place where I was exposed. This is directly caused by pheophorbide a produced by the decomposition of chlorophyll, and its photosensitization reaction causes photosensitivity such as sun-induced dermatitis. The results of a phototoxicity test using white rats (after oral administration, the next day the drug was irradiated with light for 60 minutes at an illuminance of 20,000 lux),
LD ₅₀ is 45.5 mg/100g body weight or more, MLD ₅₀ is 12 mg/
It is said to have a weight of 100 g or more (Journal of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Chemistry, 1980, Vol. 54, No. 9, pp. 721-726). Moreover, chlorophyll tends to be acidic, and pheophorbide a tends to be produced when organic solvents coexist, so it is difficult to use lipids extracted from algae as they are as health foods or pigment oils. Problems remain. The present invention relates to lipid extraction from algae, which has not been actively attempted in the past, and aims to extract lipids while excluding chlorophyll, which could not be achieved with the organic solvent extraction method described above, and in order to achieve this purpose, Using carbon dioxide gas as an extractant, the carbon dioxide gas was converted into carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas range exceeding the critical point of 75.2Kg/ ^cm2・31.1℃, and this carbon dioxide gas was brought into contact with algae to selectively eliminate chlorophyll. In the state, β
- It is configured to extract lipids containing carotenoids such as carotene from inside algae into carbon dioxide gas. That is, the present inventors have newly discovered the fact that chlorophyll is not eluted into carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas region A shown in FIG. 2 due to its affinity, and based on this discovery, the present invention has been developed. This is the completed version. Hereinafter, the various steps for practically implementing this extraction method will be described in detail in (a) to (e) using spirulina as an example and with reference to FIG. 1. (a) Pre-treatment process Spirulina has the property of floating and solidifying into blocks, so the algae are harvested by a filtration method and dried by a low-temperature spray dryer method or freeze-drying method to form a blue-black powder. This powder is supplied as a raw material to the following extraction process. (b) Raw material storage step The powder obtained in the pretreatment step is stored in the extraction tank 2 as the raw material 1. (c) Extractant supply process Using carbon dioxide as the extractant, it is pressurized with a pressurizer (compressor, pump, etc.) 3 and heated with a heat exchange type heater 4 to obtain a critical pressure of 75.2 Kg/cm ²
Supercritical pressure exceeding P ₁ and critical temperature 31.1
The carbon dioxide gas is converted into a supercritical gas region A, which has a supercritical temperature exceeding ℃T ₁ (see Fig. 2), and is supplied to the extraction tank 2. (d) Lipid extraction step Supercritical carbon dioxide gas is brought into contact with the Spirulina powder 1 in the extraction tank 2, and the lipids contained in the powder are extracted into the supercritical carbon dioxide gas with chlorophyll removed. (E) Lipid recovery process The carbon dioxide gas containing lipids in a supercritical state is reduced in pressure by passing through the pressure regulating valve 6 for setting the primary pressure from the extraction tank 2, and then continuously injected into the recovery tank 5 to reach the critical state. Bring the pressure below 75.2Kg/ ^cm2 . Carbon dioxide gas below this critical pressure loses its affinity for lipids, so lipids are easily separated. Can be recovered quickly. In the figure, numeral 10 is a filter, 11 is a discharge valve, 1
2 is a check valve, 9 is a carbon dioxide gas supply source, and 13 is a carbon dioxide gas supply valve. Incidentally, in order to perform each of the above steps (A) to (E) more efficiently, at least one of the following steps (F) to (N) may be employed. (f) The cell membrane of Spirulina is thin and soft, and cell components can be easily eluted, so spirulina is administered into water and stirred to elute soluble components such as proteins and carbohydrates into the water. After that, the water-insoluble residue is centrifuged and subjected to a drying process such as low temperature or freezing. (g) After the lipids have been separated, the carbon dioxide gas is condensed and liquefied in the condenser 8, passed through the pressurizer 3 and the heater 4, and then recirculated to the extraction tank 2. (h) The carbon dioxide gas after lipid separation is circulated from the filter 10 to the compressor 3 without the heat exchanger 8. (li) Liquefied carbon dioxide is supplied from the supply source 9 to the pump 3, and is discharged from the collection tank 5 to the outside through the gaseous carbon dioxide discharge valve 11, without being circulated to the pump 3. (J) Carbon dioxide gas containing lipids is removed from extraction tank 2 and recovery tank 5.
be transferred intermittently to Therefore, the results of applying the method of the present invention, which is a combination of the above-mentioned steps, to freeze-dried products or low-temperature-dried products of Spirulina and Chlorella will be sequentially described below. Example 1 Freeze-dried spirulina was placed in a 75 ml extraction tank, and each sample was extracted using carbon dioxide in the supercritical gas range at an average flow rate of 1.0 Kg/hr and temperature and pressure as shown in the table. Lipid extraction was performed for 3 hours, and the extracted lipid amount and residual lipid amount obtained from each sample were summarized in a table. In addition, under each extraction condition, the extraction experiment was conducted twice in order to confirm the reproducibility of the extraction amount.

[Table] Here, the total lipid amount is the crude fat contained per 100 g of sample determined by the Bligh Dyer method, and naturally shows the same value for each sample. Furthermore, the extracted lipid amount is the lipid in the extract recovered by supercritical carbon dioxide gas, and the residual lipid amount is the lipid remaining in the prepared sample after extraction, which was determined by the Bligh-Diamond method and converted to 100 g. . According to the above extraction example, if the pressure is kept constant (e.g. 250Kg/ ^cm2 constant) and the temperature is increased (40→60→80℃), the amount of extracted lipids will increase, but if the temperature is kept constant It can be seen that even if the pressure is increased (for example, at a constant temperature of 40° C.) (from 250 to 400 Kg/cm ² ), there is no significant increase in the amount of extracted lipids. Therefore, when extracting lipids from frozen Spirulina using carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas range, it is necessary to raise the temperature and
Moreover, by lowering the pressure, the economic efficiency of the extraction can be increased. Example 2 A low-temperature dried product of spirulina, which had been dried to prevent the components from undergoing thermal denaturation, was placed in an extraction tank 4, and a sample amount of 1431.6 g was extracted with carbonic acid in a supercritical gas region at a temperature of 40°C and a pressure of 400 kg/ ^cm2. Using gas, average flow rate 7.0Kg/
When extracted with hr for 1.5 hours, the following values were obtained. Total lipid amount 7.5g/sample 100g Extracted lipid amount 0.4g/sample 100g Residual lipid amount 4.7g/sample 100g Calculating and comparing the extracted lipid amount per unit weight of carbon dioxide from the results of Examples 1 and 2 (both at temperature 40℃, pressure 400Kg/cm ² extraction), and for freeze-dried products, run the sample at an average flow rate of 1.0Kg/hr for 3 hours.
Since 1.29-1.49g can be extracted per 100g, the figure is 1.29-1.49g/1.0Kg/hr x 3hr = 0.43-0.50g/1Kg of CO ₂ , whereas the average flow rate for low-temperature dried products is
0.4g per 100g of sample after flowing for 1.5 hours at 7.0Kg/hr
Since it can be extracted, the numerical value is 0.4g/7.0Kg/hr x 1.5hr = 0.04g/CO ₂ 1Kg. Example 3 Freeze-dried chlorella was placed in a 75 ml extraction tank, and each sample was extracted using carbon dioxide in the supercritical gas range at an average flow rate of 1.1 Kg/hr and temperature and pressure as shown in the table. Lipid extraction was performed over time, and the extracted lipid amount and residual lipid amount obtained from each sample were summarized in a table. In addition, in order to confirm the reproducibility of the extraction amount under each extraction condition, the extraction experiment was conducted twice.

【table】

[Table] The total lipid amount and extracted lipid amount in the above table are the same as in Example 1. In addition, in the above example, as in Example 1, the total extraction amount increases when the pressure is held constant and the temperature is increased, but even if the temperature is held constant and the pressure is increased,
There is no significant increase in total extraction. Example 4 Chlorella was dried from 120% using a spray dryer.
The high-temperature dry product dried at 130℃ was stored in extraction tank 4, and the sample amount of 978.3g was extracted at a temperature of 40℃ and a pressure of 400Kg/ ^cm2.
An average flow rate of 3.0 using carbon dioxide in the supercritical gas region of
When extracted for 7 hours at Kg/hr, the following values were obtained. Total lipid amount 2.5g/sample 100g Extracted lipid amount 0.95g/sample 100g Residual lipid amount 1.5g/sample 100g Comparing the total lipid amount of the above high temperature dried product with the value of 10.4g/sample 100g of the chlorella freeze-dried product,
Although it remains at a low value of approximately one-fourth, this is presumed to be due to heat denaturation and decomposition of a considerable portion of the lipids contained in the raw material chlorella. Therefore, the amount of lipid extracted per unit weight of carbon dioxide gas is 0.05g/CO ₂ 1Kg (calculated from 0.95g/3.0Kg/hr x 7hr), which is 0.65 to 1.33g/CO for freeze-dried chlorella products. ₂ The value remains quite low compared to 1Kg. As described above, according to the various examples, lipids can be extracted quickly and easily from dried Spirulina and Chlorella products using carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas range, but the composition of the extracted lipids is It was necessary to analyze and confirm the presence or absence of chlorophyll in the lipid, and for this confirmation, tests (1) to (3) were conducted. (1) Quantitative test of neutral lipids and complex lipids in extracted lipids Test example 1 75 mg of lipids extracted from low-temperature dried Spirulina (extracted amount of Example 2) was added to silica gel (Wakogel C).
-200) was applied to a column (2 x 4 cm) packed with
Lipids were sequentially eluted using 50 ml of chloroform and 50 ml of methanol as a developing solution to obtain a neutral lipid fraction (chloroform fraction) and a complex lipid fraction (methanol fraction), and the quantitative ratio of each fraction was calculated by gravimetric method. The following results were obtained. Lipids extracted from low-temperature dried Spirulina (total amount 75 mg) Neutral lipids 71 mg (94.6% by weight) Complex lipids 3 mg (4.0% by weight) According to the above test, most of the extracted lipids are neutral lipids consisting of glycerides, carotenoids, etc. and
It can be confirmed that only a small amount of complex lipids such as glycolipids are contained. Test Example 2 78 mg of lipid extracted from a high-temperature dried product of Chlorella (the extract of Example 4) was subjected to column chromatography in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the following results were obtained. Chlorella high temperature dried product extracted lipids (total amount 78 mg) Neutral lipids 65.1 mg (weight ratio 83.5%) Complex lipids 4.6 mg (weight ratio 5.9%) According to the above component ratio, the amount of neutral lipids is slightly lower than that of Spurulina. There are fewer complex lipids, and there are more complex lipids. (2) Qualitative test of lipid composition Test example 3 Of the lyophilized Spirulina products used in Example 1, total lipids, residual lipids, and carbon dioxide extracted lipids obtained under extraction conditions of 400 Kg/cm ² and 40°C A thin layer plate of commercially available silica gel 60F254 (Merck) was used for thin layer chromatography using a developing solvent of petroleum ether/ether/acetic acid (90:10:1) to obtain the resultant product shown in Figure 3A. In addition, spirulina freeze-dried products and low-temperature dried products are
Since similar results were obtained for both cases, the above-mentioned extract was used as a representative example of the extraction test. According to the above diagram A, the lipids that make up Spirulina consist of β-carotene, chlorophyll, yellow carotenoid, triglyceride, etc. (see the development state of total lipids), and when extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide,
It can be seen that among the total lipids, β-carotene, yellow carotenoid, triglyceride, cholesterol, etc. are eluted into carbon dioxide gas, but chlorophyll remains as a residual lipid at the origin. Therefore, in order to confirm the detailed composition of the lipids that remain near the origin in the above thin layer chromatogram, we further extracted this carbon dioxide gas using a developing solvent of chloroform/methanol/water (65:25:4). It was developed and Figure 3B was obtained. According to the above diagram B, the components included in the total lipids include myxoxanthophyll, myxoxanthophyll, and
Examples include red sugar carotenoids such as osilaxanthin, and glyceroglycolipids such as monoglycosyl diglyceride, monoglycosyl monoglyceride, and diglycosyl monoglyceride. Furthermore, near the developed tip of the thin-layer chromatogram, overlapping spots of chlorophyll and yellow carotenoid appear for the total lipid content, but only yellow carotenoid spots appear for the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction content. It can be reconfirmed that chlorophyll remains in the residual lipids and does not migrate to the extracted lipids. Therefore, in lipid extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide,
Neutral digits, especially carotenoids such as β-carotene and yellow carotenoid, can be recovered in high yield, and at the same time chlorophyll can be removed and retained as a residue. In addition to chlorophyll, residual lipids include
Glyceroglycolipids and red sugar carotenoids are concentrated, and the former may have antitumor activity, and the latter may have antibacterial activity, and both are expected to be used as drugs. Test Example 4 Chlorella freeze-dried product used in Example 3 (250
Kg/cm ²・Residual lipids obtained from 40℃ extraction),
For each carbon dioxide-extracted lipid, a thin layer of silica gel 60F254 (Merck) as described above was used and two developing solvents were used: petroleum ether/ether/acetic acid (90:10:1) and chloroform/methanol/
Thin layer chromatograms were obtained using water (65:25:4). In addition, since chlorella freeze-dried products and high-temperature dried products both showed similar results, the above-mentioned extract was used as a representative example of the extraction test. Figure 4A shows the result developed in a petroleum ether/ether/acetic acid system, and β-carotene, triglycerides, yellow carotenoids, hydrocarbons, cholesterol esters, etc. are transferred to the carbon dioxide extract, and almost no residue remains in the residual lipids. On the other hand, chlorophyll remains in the residual lipid fraction and does not migrate into the extracted lipid fraction. Figure 4B shows a further development test in a chloroform/methanol/water system in order to clarify the lipid components that stay near the origin in Figure A above, confirming that chlorophyll does not migrate into the extracted lipid components. can. In addition, the neutral lipids contained in chlorella contain more hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, and carotenoids such as lutein than those in spirulina, while the complex lipids contain many types of glyceroglycolipids, fluid-containing lipids, etc. It can be confirmed that (3) Qualitative test of carotenoids contained in extracted lipids According to Test Example 2 (Figure B in Figure 3), the pigment components contained in total lipids are composed of yellow carotenoids, chlorophyll, myxoxanthophyll, and osillaxanthin. However, when extracted with supercritical gas, mainly yellow carotenoids can be recovered. Test Example 5 Therefore, Spirulina freeze-dried product 400Kg/cm ²・40
For extracted lipids mainly composed of yellow carotenoids obtained from ℃, acetone/petroleum ether (3:
17) Silica gel 60F254 as described above using the developing solvent
When developed on a thin layer plate prepared using Merck (Merck), the thin layer chromatogram shown in FIG. 5 was obtained. According to Figure 5, the extracted carotenoids are
β-carotene, zeaxanthin, echinenone,
It is found that the main components are 3'-hydroxy-echinenone, β-cryptoxanthin, etc. As mentioned above, if lipids are extracted from spirulina and chlorella using carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas range, chlorophyll can be removed and lipids rich in carotenoids can be obtained. This method can be applied to all the above-mentioned algae, which contain a lot of chlorophyll in their bodies because they photosynthesize in water, including blue-green algae to which Spirulina belongs, and green algae to which Chlorella belongs; The effects of the invention are as follows. (1) Utilizing the property that carbon dioxide in a supercritical state does not elute chlorophyll due to its affinity, lipids are extracted from algae with chlorophyll removed by contacting supercritical carbon dioxide with algae. Therefore, by ingesting extracted lipids as in the past, there is no risk of the decomposition products produced from chlorophyll being taken into the human body and causing photosensitivity. Moreover, selective removal of chlorophyll from lipids could not be achieved by conventional solvent extraction methods, so if the present invention is applied to algae, only useful lipids containing β-carotene etc. can be easily and easily extracted from algae. It can be safely extracted and used as is as a health food or pigment oil. In addition, if conventional solvent extraction is performed on the extraction residue after carbon dioxide extraction of the present invention on algae, a chlorophyll concentrate can be obtained, and this chlorophyll can be used in cosmetics, toothpaste, etc.
It can be used as a coloring agent for chewing gum, etc. Furthermore, while chlorophyll is an indirect cause of the aforementioned photosensitivity, it also has the pharmacological effect of lowering cholesterol in the body when taken into the human body in appropriate amounts, so it can be used as a drug. (2) The lipids extracted from algae according to the present invention are
Contains a large amount of carotenoids, including β-carotene, so it can be used as a medicinal nutritional supplement or pigmented feed.For example, it can be used as a coloring agent for health foods and foods that have anticancer effects and vitamin A activity, or as a coloring agent for fish farming. It can be used as an improver for the color of poultry meat and eggs. In addition, the residue after extraction is enriched with chlorophyll, sugar carotenoids, and glycolipids, and various medicinal effects can be expected, so the residue can also be used. The added value of extraction operations can be further increased. (3) Chlorophyll can be selectively removed from algae with a single step of pressurizing and heating liquefied carbon dioxide gas to a supercritical state exceeding the critical point, bringing it into contact with algae, and then removing carbon dioxide gas. It is possible to extract and separate the lipids in this state and manufacture them directly. Moreover, since the extractant is carbon dioxide gas in a supercritical state, separation from the desired lipid can be carried out extremely smoothly. That is, in conventional solvent extraction methods, in order to selectively obtain lipids from algae, the extraction must be carried out in multiple stages using different types of solvents, whereas the present invention requires only one stage operation. Therefore, the labor required for lipid production can be minimized, the production cost can be reduced, and the entire equipment can be made significantly more compact. (4) Although carbon dioxide in a supercritical state is in a gaseous state, it has a very high density that is close to that of a liquid.
Furthermore, since it also has a high diffusion coefficient, which is an attribute of gas, it can spread widely to every corner of the algae in the extraction tank, increasing both the extraction surface area and the contact flow rate, and has a high elution power like a liquid. Therefore, the extraction efficiency is high and the extraction amount can be increased. (5) Since carbon dioxide gas is used as the extractant, the lipids are kept in an inert atmosphere of carbon dioxide gas from the beginning to the end of the extraction operation, which prevents rancidity and deterioration, and improves the quality of extracted lipids, especially carotenoids. Can be maintained well. Inert carbon dioxide gas also poses no risk of fire or explosion compared to traditional solvent extraction methods, making it extremely safe to operate. Furthermore, even if carbon dioxide gas is discharged or leaked into the atmosphere, there is no risk of polluting the atmosphere or the environment. (6) In conventional solvent extraction methods, there is a risk that organic solvents harmful to the human body, such as chloroform and methylene chloride, may remain in the lipids.
In the method of extraction using carbon dioxide gas as in the present invention, since carbon dioxide gas is a gas, it is unlikely that this gas will remain in the product (even if a small amount remains, it is highly safe), and the The product can be used safely and non-toxicly as a health food or pigment oil. (7) Since the present invention can be applied to algae in general, with Spirulina and Chlorella as representative examples,
Since the present invention performs photosynthesis, it has great potential to be applied to plants that have chlorophyll, and therefore, by using the present invention, it is expected that useful products can be produced by extracting lipids from plants in general.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are related to the present invention; Fig. 1 is a flow chart of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a pressure/temperature state diagram of carbon dioxide gas used as an extractant, Fig. 3 is A, B, and Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the present invention.
Figures A, B and Figure 5 are thin layer chromatograms of lipids tested using various developing solvents. 1... Algae, 2... Extraction tank, 3... Pressurizer, 4
... Heater, 5 ... Recovery layer, 6 ... Pressure regulating valve, P ₁
...Critical pressure, T ₁ ...Critical temperature, A...Supercritical gas region.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Using carbon dioxide gas as an extractant, pressurize and heat the carbon dioxide gas to a critical pressure of 75.2Kg/cm ² and a critical temperature.
It is characterized by converting carbon dioxide gas in the supercritical gas range over 31.1℃, bringing this carbon dioxide gas into contact with algae, selectively removing chlorophyll, and extracting lipids including carotenoids from within the algae into carbon dioxide gas. A method for producing lipids containing carotenoids from algae.