احمد آقایی

Microalgae have been recognized as a possibly practical feedstock for the biological production of transportation biofuels. Although lipids are considered the most valuable constituents of algal biomass in the perspective of a biofuels development, further biomass components such as proteins and carbohydrates also make up a big portion of the biomass. Conventionally, carbohydrates in algal biomass samples are measured by means of a phenol-sulfuric acid procedure. However, carbohydrate extraction methods for microalgae cells are not well established, and there is presently no standard extraction method for the determination of the total soluble carbohydrates content of microalgae. Briefly, in this research, for carbohydrates extraction, two different solvents (distilled water and sulfuric acid 72%) were used. The carbohydrates extracted were spectrophotometrically determined by phenol-sulfuric acid method. The results showed that sulfuric acid 72% extraction method is more efficient in extracting soluble carbohydrates from Dunaliella salina.