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The antiproliferative activity of carotenoids separated from marine Chlorella ellipsoidea and freshwater Chlorella vulgaris has been evaluated. HPLC analysis revealed that the main carotenoid from C. ellipsoidea was composed of violaxanthin with two minor xanthophylls, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin, whereas the carotenoid from C. vulgaris was almost completely composed of lutein. In an MTT assay, both semipurified extracts of C. ellipsoidea and C. vulgaris inhibited HCT116 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, yielding IC(50) values of 40.73 +/- 3.71 and 40.31 +/- 4.43 microg/mL, respectively. In addition, treatment with both chlorella extracts enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the early apoptotic cell population in HCT116 cells. C. ellipsoidea extract produced an apoptosis-inducing effect almost 2.5 times stronger than that of the C. vulgaris extract. These results indicate that bioactive xanthophylls of C. ellipsoidea might be useful functional ingredients in the prevention of human cancers.

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Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was applied to the extraction of carotenoids and chlorophylls from the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris. Four extraction techniques such as maceration (MAC), Soxhlet extraction (SOX), ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE), and PLE were compared, and both the extraction temperature (50, 105, and 160 degrees C) and the extraction time (8, 19, and 30 min), which are the two main factors for PLE, were optimized with a central composite design to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The extraction solvent (90% ethanol/water) could adequately extract the functional components from C. vulgaris. PLE showed higher extraction efficiencies than MAC, SOX, and UAE. Temperature was the key parameter having the strongest influence on the extraction of carotenoids and chlorophylls from chlorella. In addition, high heat treatment (>110 degrees C) by PLE minimized the formation of pheophorbide a, a harmful chlorophyll derivative. These results indicate that PLE may be a useful extraction method for the simultaneous extraction of carotenoids and chlorophylls from C. vulgaris.