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.