Developing\na Sustainable and Scalable Defatting Protocol\nfor Nannochloropsis oceanica: Isolating\nHigh-Quality Protein and Lipid Fractions

The\ncurrent research focuses on developing and optimizing the defatting\nprotocols that lead to sustainable and industrially scalable isolation\nof two main components ofNannochloropsis oceanicamicroalga, i.e., lipid content and defatted biomass comprising primarily\nof proteins and polysaccharides. We introduce a simplified extraction\nprotocol that includes treating the microalga powder with ethyl alcohol\nheated slightly below boiling point (∼70 °C) for a short\ntime (1 h). Multiple runs (EP1-EP10) were performed during the defatting\nprocess optimization, followed by extensive characterization of the\nobtained isolates. The comparison of the properties between the products\nof EP3-EP10 runs and the commercial defatted biomass sample shows\nthat several isolates have characteristic properties that are equal\nto or exceed those of the commercial sample, which creates the opportunity\nfor further development of the defatted biomass isolates ofNannochloropsis oceanicaas a reliable alternative\nprotein source.