Application of supercritical fluid carbon dioxide to the extraction and analysis of lipids

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) is an ecofriendly supercritical fluid that is chemically inert, nontoxic, noninflammable and nonpolluting. As a green material, SCCO2 has desirable properties such as high density, low viscosity and high diffusivity that make it suitable for use as a solvent in supercritical fluid extraction, an effective and environment-friendly analytical method, and as a mobile phase for supercritical fluid chromatography, which facilitates high-throughput, high-resolution analysis. Furthermore, the low polarity of SCCO2 is suitable for the extraction and analysis of hydrophobic compounds. The growing concern surrounding environmental pollution has triggered the development of green analysis methods based on the use of SCCO2 in various laboratories and industries. SCCO2 is becoming an effective alternative to conventional organic solvents. In this review, the usefulness of SCCO2 in supercritical fluid extraction and supercritical fluid chromatography for the extraction and analysis of lipids is described.