ABSTRACT
Microalgae offer certain advantages for the production and commercialisation of carbohydrates over other traditional sources such as the possibility to excrete extra-cellular polymers to the culture media together with the production of other cell wall and intracellular compounds. This chapter summarises the current methodological approaches used to extract microalgal carbohydrates together with the main biological activities described in the literature for both extra-cellular and cellular polysaccharides. It also summarises the current methodological approaches used to extract and purify carbohydrates from microalgae and the prospects for the industrial exploitation of microalgal polysaccharides. The chemical composition of microalgal polysaccharides is influenced by the algae species and strain. Extraction techniques of carbohydrates should ideally achieve high yields of compounds, preserve the nature of the products and co-products, minimise energy consumption, generate minimum waste and be suitable for scaling-up the process to industry.
