Study of influence of conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain biogments from microalgae biomass dried by spray drying, under different operations conditions

• Grant number: 24/19451-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Lívia Chaguri e Carvalho
• Grantee: Vinicius Koji Mikami Sugahara
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Microalgal biopigments possess beneficial properties for human health, such as antioxidants, precursor to vitamins, and immunostimulants. In addition to being attractive, they are biodegradable, resistant to pH changes, and useful in various industrial sectors, including food, cosmetics, and paints. Its increasing use leads to the development for natural dyes, making microalgae and its subproducts a high added value products. Due to its high moisture content, microalgae biomass availability can be increased by dehydration, allowing subsequent extraction of biopigments. This project aims to study the variation of operational conditions for spray drying of the wet biomass microalgae of Dunaliella salina and Chlorella Vulgaris.The influence of some operational conditions on drying will be observed in the quality of the powdered product through the study of two extraction techniques: ultrasound-assisted and conventional methods. Thus, in the quantity and quality of chlorophylls and carotenoids. The ultrasound-assisted extraction method stands out for reducing the use of toxic organic solvents and represents an interesting alternative in the future of green chemistry. When combined with spray drying under optimal conditions of temperature and airflow, an increase of biomass utilization may be achievable. The quantification of both extraction techniques will also be conducted through the determination of their kinetics, enabling comparison of the results. The quantities and quality of the pigments will also be compared to values reported in the literature for wet biomass.