Effects of molten-salt/ionic-liquid mixture on extraction of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich lipids from Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101

In this study, lipid extraction from Aurantiochytrium sp. was performed using a molten-salt/ionic-liquid mixture. The total fatty acid content of Aurantiochytrium sp. was 478.8 mg/g cell, from which 145 mg/g cell (30.3 % of total fatty acids) of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was obtained. FeCl₃·6H₂O showed a high lipid extraction yield (207.9 mg/g cell), when compared with that of [Emim]OAc, which was only 118.1 mg/g cell; notably however, when FeCl₃·6H₂O was mixed with [Emim]OAc (5:1, w/w), the yield was increased to 478.6 mg/g cell. When lipid was extracted by the FeCl₃·6H₂O/[Emim]OAc mixture at a 5:1 (w/w) blending ratio under 90°C, 30 min reaction conditions, the fatty acid content of the extracted lipid was a high purity 997.7 mg/g lipid, with most of the DHA having been extracted (30.2 % of total fatty acids). Overall, lipid extraction from Aurantiochytrium sp. was enhanced by the synergistic effects of the molten-salt/ionic-liquid mixture with different ions.