Cell disruption of microalgae: advances and perspectives

Abstract

Microalgae are organisms whose biomass contains different biomolecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, pigments, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds, with numerous industrial applications, highlighting the food, nutritional, cosmetic, pharmacological, and biofuel segments. However, access to these biomolecules in an integrated manner is often hampered due to the structural rigidity of their cell wall, requiring the application of a pre-treatment that promotes cell lysis. Various cell rupture techniques applied to microalgae biomass have been reported. These methods can be mechanical, especially ball milling techniques and high-pressure homogenization (HPH), or non-mechanical, such as chemical, thermal, and enzymatic procedures, each with advantages and disadvantages. Thus, this review addressed the different methods of cell disruption, listing their advantages and disadvantages, applications in cell biomass, and challenges.