Ultrasonication assisted lipid extraction from oleaginous microorganisms

• Ultrasonication was used in lipid extraction from oleaginous microorganisms.
• Green solvent was used for lipid extraction.
• Ultrasonication reduced lipid extraction time.
• Ultrasonication had no effect on fatty acid profiles.

Various solvents, including water, hexane, methanol, and chloroform/methanol (1:1 v/v), were tested to identify the efficiency of lipid extraction from Trichosporon oleaginosus and an oleaginous fungal strain SKF-5 under ultrasonication (520 kHz 40 W and 50 Hz 2800 W) and compared with the conventional chloroform methanol (2:1 v/v) extraction method. The highest lipid recovery 10.2% and 9.3% with water, 43.2% and 33.2% with hexane, 75.7% and 65.1% with methanol, 100% and 100% w/w biomass with chloroform/methanol were obtained from T. oleaginosus and SKF-5 strain, respectively, at ultrasonication frequency 50 Hz and power input 2800 W. Ultrasonication chloroform/methanol extraction recovered total lipid in a short time (15 min) and low temperature (25 °C). Whereas the conventional chloroform methanol extraction to achieve total lipid recovery required 12 h at 60 °C. Ultrasonication chloroform/methanol extraction would be a promising method of lipid extraction from the microorganisms.