Abstract:
In recent years, microbial carotenoids have emerged as a promising alternative for the pharmaceutical and food industries,
particularly in promoting human health due to their potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Microbial carotenoids,
particularly those produced by yeast, bacteria, and microalgae, are synthesized intracellularly, requiring the use of solvents
for their efective extraction and recovery. The conventional use of toxic volatile organic solvents (VOCs) like hexane,
petroleum ether, and dimethyl sulfoxide in the extraction of microbial carotenoids has been common. However, ongoing
research is introducing innovative, non-toxic, environmentally friendly tailor-made solvents, such as ionic liquids (IL) and
deep eutectic solvents (DES), indicating a new era of cleaner and biocompatible technologies. This review aims to highlight
recent advancements in utilizing IL and DES for obtaining carotenoids from microorganisms. Additionally, we explore the
utilization of in silico tools designed to determine the solubilities of microbial carotenoids in tailor-made DES and ILs. This
presents a promising alternative for the scientifc community, potentially reducing the need for extensive experimental screening of solvents for the recovery of microbial carotenoids in the separation processing. According to our expert perspective,
both IL and DES exhibit a plethora of exceptional attributes for the recovery of microbial carotenoids. Nevertheless, the
current employment of these solvents for recovery of carotenoids is restricted to scientifc exploration, as their feasibility
for practical application in industrial settings has yet to be conclusively demonstrated.
