Biofuel Production from the Orbetello Lagoon Macrophytes: Efficiency of Lipid Extraction Using Accelerate Solvent Extraction Technique

In this paper, the efficiency of lipid extraction from macrophytes (Chaetomorpha linum, Ulva laetevirens, Valonia aegagrophyla, Gracilariopsis longissima, Ruppia cirrhosa) for the biodiesel production is evaluated using four different methods based on the Accelerated Solvent Extraction technique. Both wet and dried tissues are extracted and effects induced on lipid recovery by the pressure and the solvent mixture selection are evaluated. Results evidenced that better extraction performance is obtained using a polar/hydrophobic solvent mixture (1:1 v/v). Accelerate Solvent Extraction technique significantly improves the total amount of lipid extracted from macrophytes tissues even if average values are about 2% of the dry weight. Observed efficiencies are far from the productive standards required by the industrial process; nevertheless, lipid extraction from macrophytes could represent an interesting step of a much more complex biomass recycling process which could include, besides biodiesel, also, the production of other commercial materials as well as pigments and biosorbents.