Patent ID: 7785823

Claim:
A method of separating free-astaxanthin selectively from Haematococcus pluvialis , the method comprising: mixing a cell culture containing Haematococcus pluvialis with a dodecane solvent with 1:1 volume ratio and stirring, thereby obtaining a dodecane solvent extract containing astaxanthin material including free-astaxanthin and astaxanthin ester (step 1); mixing the dodecane solvent extract with a methanol with 1:1 volume ratio, wherein an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide is added to the methanol, and stirring, thereby obtaining a methanol extract containing free-astaxanthin and separating the dodecane solvent from the methanol extract (step 2); and recycling the dodecane solvent separated from the alcoholic extract in the step 2 by carrying out the step 1 and the step 2 repeatedly (step 3).