Extraction of Algal Neutral Lipids for Biofuel Production

Lipids represent a major algal biochemical with an extensive range of applications including biodiesel synthesis. Biodiesel constitutes ‘fatty acid methyl esters’ (FAME) arising from the transesterification of lipids. Among algal lipids, neutral or true lipids such as ‘triacylglycerols’ (TAGs) are important for generating high quality and stable biodiesel fuel with enhanced calorific value. New and improved physicochemical lipid extraction methods are highly important to enable the selective generation of true lipids from algal biomass. This chapter presents an overview of the diverse conventional and advanced extraction methods used as efficient approaches for lipid extraction from algae. The impact of nanotechnology for enhanced lipid extraction is discussed.