Lipids extracted from several species of natural blue–green microalgae by dimethyl ether: Extraction yield and properties

Recently, the authors proposed a simple method for the extraction of lipid from high-moisture microalgae by using dimethyl ether (DME) without drying, cell disruption, and heating of the extractant. Herein, the versatility of this method was evaluated using several species of natural blue–green microalgae. Direct extraction of lipids from various species of high-moisture microalgae was successfully achieved using this method, with an extraction yield of 9.9–40.1% of the dry weight of the microalgae. The lipids extraction yield and molecular weight distribution achieved using the DME extraction method is comparable to those achieved using the widely used Bligh–Dyer’s (BD) method. The lipids were characterized by low oxygen/nitrogen and high carbon/hydrogen content with a high calorific value of 33.8 MJ/kg, reflecting the high quality of the extracted oil.