Wet extraction of hydrocarbons from Botryococcus braunii by dimethyl ether as compared with dry extraction by hexane

We propose the use of liquid dimethyl ether (DME) as a solvent for extracting hydrocarbons and lipids from Botryococcus braunii Race B paste. The extraction yields and main elements of the extracts obtained from the B. braunii by our technique is nearly the same as by hexane Soxhlet extraction on dried mass. A qualitative analysis by silica gel thin layer chromatography suggested that DME also effectively extracted the specific hydrocarbons, botryococcenes from the wet B. braunii cells. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of DME extracts indicated the presence of a large amount of C32–C34 botryococcenes—the main components of B. braunii Race B. In contrast, hexane extracted not only C32–C34, but also small amounts of C30 and C31 botryococcenes—the minor components. The result shows that extraction differences between DME and hexane are not important.