ABSTRACT
Microalgae offer certain advantages for the production2 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. Due to the wide heterogeneity and industrial potential of carbohydrates, the extraction and purification strategies used to obtain these molecules from marine organisms have recently gained a great deal of attention in the scientific community. This chapter summarises the current methodological approaches (traditional or innovative technologies) used to extract microalgal carbohydrates together with the main biological activities described in the literature for both extra-cellular and cellular polysaccharides. The purification of carbohydrates for future commercialisation is also covered together with key aspects of the current market of microalgal compounds and the future prospects of this industry.
