ISOLATION OF CAROTENOID CRYSTALS

摘要

The present invention relates to a crystalline carotenoid compound, such as .beta.-carotene, with a purity of at least 95 % and with substantially no solvent enclosed in the crystal lattice. The present invention further describes a process to prepare such a highly pure crystalline carotenoid compound from microbial biomass, without the use of a solvent extraction and/or an anti-solvent crystallization process.