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R-phycoerythrin is a high added-value protein found in red macroalgae with several interesting properties. Despite the promising results found when R-phycoerythrin is used as an optically active center in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), it still has some problems that can be attributed to the low stability of the R-phycoerythrin in the presence of the specific contaminant proteins found in the crude extract. The development of downstream strategies able to reduce the use of environmentally hazardous solvents, while improving the purification without compromising the R-phycoerythrin structural integrity is still the biggest challenge to overcome. Aqueous micellar two-phase systems (AMTPS) appear as an appealing fractionation approach since they allow the processing of systems with larger water contents, while displaying great selectivity and biocompatibility with several biomolecules. Moroever, AMTPS that mix surfactants and surface-active ionic liquids are shown to significantly enhance protein purification. In this work, mixed AMTPS were applied to the R-phycoerythrin purification from red macroalgae. After the process optimization, this work proposes the application of two consecutive steps of purification as the final process to isolate R-phycoerythrin from the remaining proteins composing the crude extract, while maintaining the structural integrity of R-phycoerythrin, as requested to be used in the LSC. Besides a good performance, the two-step approach developed was also shown to have a lower environmental impact with a carbon footprint decrease of 16%, when compared with the conventional AMTPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms, such as yeasts, filamentous fungi, bacteria, and microalgae, have gained significant attention due to their potential in producing commercially valuable natural carotenoids. In recent years, Phaffia rhodozyma yeasts have emerged as intriguing non-conventional sources of carotenoids, particularly astaxanthin and β-carotene. However, the shift from academic exploration to effective industrial implementation has been challenging to achieve. This study aims to bridge this gap by assessing various scenarios for carotenoid production and recovery. It explores the use of ionic liquids (ILs) and bio-based solvents (ethanol) to ensure safe extraction. The evaluation includes a comprehensive analysis involving Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), biocompatibility assessment, and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of two integrated technologies that utilize choline-based ILs and ethanol (EtOH) for astaxanthin (+β-carotene) recovery from P. rhodozyma cells. This work evaluates the potential sustainability of integrating these alternative solvents within a yeast-based bioeconomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Concentrated in the skins of red grapes are the anthocyanins, the primary colorants responsible for the fruits' reddish-purple color. These colorants are recognized for their significant antioxidant properties and potent nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredients. Nevertheless, their widespread use is compromised by the (i) need for more efficient yet sustainable downstream processes for their recovery and (ii) by the challenges imposed by their poor stability. In this work, these drawbacks were overcome by applying eutectic solvents and stabilizing agents. Besides, the anthocyanins were successfully loaded into a solid host material (approved in both food and pharmaceutical sectors) based on silicon dioxide (SiO 2 , loading capacity: 1 extract :7 silica m/m). Summing up, with the process developed, the extraction yield (21 mg anthocyanins .g biomass ) and the stability (under 55, 75, and 95 °C) of the recovered anthocyanins were over three times better than with the conventional process. Finally, the raw materials and solvents were recycled, allowing an economical and environmentally friendly downstream process.-1 ) and the stability (under 55, 75, and 95 °C) of the recovered anthocyanins were over three times better than with the conventional process. Finally, the raw materials and solvents were recycled, allowing an economical and environmentally friendly downstream process., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is a growing demand in the development of environmentally friendly technologies, based on the use of more biocompatible solvents for the recovery of natural bioactive compounds. In this work, the red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma biomass was used as a source of carotenoids to develop an integrative and efficient platform that promotes the recovery of astaxanthin and β-carotene using bio-based solvents (BioSs). The extraction aptitude of pure BioSs was evaluated and compared with the conventional organic method. At this point, the influence of the BioSs molecular structures involved in the extraction procedures were also investigated. Overall, envisaging the industrial application of the process, an integrative platform was proposed for the recovery of astaxanthin/β-carotene from P. rhodozyma biomass and the recycle of the BioSs. The life cycle assessment of the proposed technology using EtOH was evaluated, validating the sustainability of BioSs in the process with environmental impact reduction of 3-12%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)