Lutein is a carotenoid that has multiple roles in human and plant life. Recent research shows that this compound can play an important role in preventing and treating many diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and cataract, in human. Currently, the petals of marigold are mostly used for lutein extraction; but this flower has many problems as the main source. Since species of microalgae are a rich source of carotenoids, these microalgae can be seen as a competitive source to Marigold flowers in lutein production. In this study, solvent extraction of lutein from Chlorella vulgaris IG-R96 is investigated. The results show that methanol is the best solvent for lutein extraction compared to alternative solvents such as acetone, chloroform, hexane, and ethanol. Lutein solvent extraction is better to be performed in multi-stage mode. The results show that a 3-stage process with incubation time of 30 min between each stage recovers the most lutein from algal biomass and consumes the least volume of solvent. In these conditions the most economic potential of algal feedstock is demonstrated.

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