Method for obtaining fucoxanthin and fatty acids from the biomass of algae

A method for obtaining a fucoxanthin-containing precipitate and a fatty acid-containing lipid fraction from a biomass of algae, comprising the steps:

• a) providing at least one nonpolar organic solvent and biomass of algae,
• b) extracting fucoxanthin and fatty acids by means of the at least one non-polar organic solvent provided in method step a) from the biomass of algae provided in method step a) in at least one extraction reactor unit (10), which is assigned to at least one first filter element (11), comprising, at a temperature of 60 to 150° C. and a pressure from 1.5 to 100 bar, a mixture comprising an algae extract and a biomass of algae subjected to extraction,
• c) separating the biomass of algae subjected to extraction from the mixture obtained in method step b) by means of filtration through the at least one first filter (11) element to obtain a filtered algae extract and introduction of the filtered algae extract obtained in at least one precipitation reactor unit (20) to which at least one second filter element (21) is assigned,
• d) lowering the temperature of the filtered algae extract to −80 to 50° C. in the precipitation reactor unit (20) to precipitate fucoxanthin crystals in order to obtain a mixture of fucoxanthin-crystal-containing precipitate and a fatty-acid containing algae extract fraction,
• e) separating the fucoxanthin-crystal-containing precipitate from the mixture of fucoxanthin-crystal-containing precipitate and fatty acid-containing algae extract fraction by means of filtration through the at least one second filter element (21) to obtain a fucoxanthin-crystal-containing precipitate and a fatty acid-containing algae extract fraction, and
• f) separating a fatty acid-containing lipid fraction from the fatty acid-containing algae extract fraction by evaporating the at least one nonpolar organic solvent to obtain the fatty acid-containing lipid fraction.