The real alternative to the conventional technologies of extraction of carotenoids can be supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE),
where supercritical (SC) CO2 is mostly used as extractant and the mild extraction of labile biologically active substances is provided.
SCCO2 was used during isolation of carotenoids (as the constitutive part of total extracts) from some plants, mainly the blooms of some plants of the rose
family, and showed itself as a good extractant [8–13].
Relatively recently, Saldaca et al. [4] reported on the isolation of βcarotene from dry carrot. According to the data of the authors, the extracting ability of SC CO2 is ~80 μg/mol CO2 (at 100–150 atm and 60°C) in the use of the matrix containing 1832 μg carotenoids in one gram of dry substance.
However, the insufficiently broad range of the experimental parameters does not reveal all the opportunities of this process.