Characterization and Performance Evaluation of NADES-CAF in Ultrasound and Microwave Extraction of Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were applied to accelerate the extraction of Phycocyanin (P), which is considered a safe natural antioxidant, from Arthrospira platensis. The applications were combined with natural deep eutectic solvent-citric acid fructose (NADES-CAF) as a safe green solvent for the product and environment in acceleration. This study evaluates the characteristics and performance of NADES-CAF at various concentrations (1, 2, and 3) in UAE and MAE, which were analyzed based on Peleg’s model. The results showed that the increased NADES-CAF concentrations enhanced the solvent properties (density, viscosity, EC, and TDS) under ultrasonic and microwave conditions, thereby improving extraction performance. The UAE achieved a higher extraction rate value (0.0316 - 0.0411 mg/mL.min) compared to MAE (0.0111–0.0193 mg/mL·min) and also a higher maximum capacity (1.4353–2.7389 mg/mL) than MAE (1.5243–1.9453 mg/mL). A peak maximum capacity of 2.7389 mg/mL was achieved with UAE using 3 NADES-CAF. It should be an efficient and sustainable method for extracting phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis. Peleg’s model successfully described extraction performance and accurately predicted the phycocyanin content during extraction. The study demonstrated that NADES-CAF concentrations improved solvent properties and extraction performance, with UAE achieving a higher extraction rate value and maximum capacity than MAE. ©2025 The authors.