Integrated Stress-Induced Lipid Enhancement and Supercritical CO₂ Extraction for Efficient Biodiesel Production from Chlorella vulgaris

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Biochemistry, College of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Science and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resource University, Sari, Iran

3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran

10.22091/jaem.2026.14935.1036

Abstract

This study evaluates the efficiency of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) combined with n-hexane and ethanol as co-solvents for lipid extraction from Chlorella vulgaris cultivated under stress conditions for biodiesel production. The microalgae were grown using a two-stage cultivation strategy and divided into three groups: control (pre-stress), Treatment 1 (nutrient deprivation, pH 11, and 2 M NaCl for 24 h), and Treatment 2 (nutrient deprivation and 2 M NaCl for 72 h). Extraction was performed at pressures of 250, 300, and 350 bar and temperatures of 50 and 70 °C.
The total lipid contents for the control, Treatment 1, and Treatment 2 were 8.78 ± 0.45%, 57.4 ± 0.75%, and 55.3 ± 1.03%, respectively. The highest fatty acid yield (>99%) was achieved at 350 bar and 50 °C across all groups. The biodiesel properties of all samples met ASTM and EN standards. These findings indicate that the combination of stress-induced lipid accumulation and SC-CO₂ extraction represents an efficient strategy for biodiesel production from Chlorella vulgaris.

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Advances in Energy and Materials Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 April 2026

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