Green processes and sustainability: An overview on the extraction of high added-value products from seaweeds and microalgae

The present contribution is based on a presentation given at the Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy (SFE'13), in the Panel devoted to Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, and on the discussions that occurred in the panel. Through the discussion of some selected examples related to the extraction of bioactives from marine sources (specifically seaweeds and microalgae) combining green solvents and compressed fluids conditions, several ideas are presented as a way to improve processes towards sustainability. The role of compressed fluids is discussed and emphasized together with the development of a green processing platform able to fulfil the requirements for a sustainable framework in which processes can fit more efficiently, basically through a biorefinery approach. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.