Application of pressurized liquids to extract high-value compounds from marine biomass

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) is a promising green technology to extract various value- added compounds from marine biomass. In principle, the PLE technique employs pressurized solvents (typically 5–20 MPa) at high temperatures (generally 80–200°C), which allows an exhaustive extraction of intracellular compounds in short time. The technique dramatically reduces solvent consumption compared to conventional extraction processes. The solvent choice varies depending on the chemical nature of the target compounds, although water and ethanol have shown to be the most suitable solvent complying green chemistry principles. The optimal temperature varies depending on the target compound, while 5–20 min is sufficient to extract most compounds. The present chapter provides an overview of the principles and application of PLE technology for the extraction of high-value compounds from marine biomass. The main characteristics and parameters affecting the use of this technique are also discussed.