Thesis title: Sustainable green processes to extract bioactive compounds from emerging biomasses with natural solvents
This thesis investigates the use of innovative solvents for the extraction of biomolecules from microbial biomasses, with a particular focus on high-value pigments such as phycocyanin and astaxanthin. The efficiency of switchable hydrophilicity solvents (SHS) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) was evaluated in terms of extraction yield, selectivity, and environmental sustainability. Process parameter optimization significantly improved extraction efficiency and selectivity of the process while reducing the toxicity of the employed solvents. The obtained results contribute to the development of greener and more sustainable technologies for the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries, opening new perspectives for integrating these processes into biorefinery models.