Extraction with supercritical fluids arises in the last three decades as a promising alternative to conventional analytical methods for lipid extraction, and currently has consolidated its application in extraction processes of raw materials of animal and plant origin. Its advantages over conventional techniques are many and well known, but this technology stands out mainly by environmental factors and quality of products. This article reviews the aspects related to the use of supercritical CO2 for extraction and fractionation of lipids, with special emphasis in triacylglycerols and fatty acids, and summarizes the published literature with the use of SFE to obtain fats and oils with particular interest in the application of the extracts in food products. In this context, marine animals and oilseeds are the most studied raw materials for lipid extraction. A brief review on the separation procedures involving supercritical technology, as supercritical fluid chromatography, is also presented, dealing with separation methods as analytical techniques, or even as fractionation and purification tools. As shown in this paper, natural sources of lipids are abundant and diverse, supercritical CO2 has large potential to be a viable method to extract and purify those substances. © 2014 Bentham Science Publishers.1016777Verbeke, W., Consumer acceptance of functional foods: Sociodemographic, cognitive and attitudinal determinants (2005) Food Quality and Preference, 16 (1), pp. 45-57Rubio-Rodríguez, N., Beltrán, S., Jaime, I., de Diego, S.M., Sanz, M.T., Carballido, J.R., Production of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrates: A review (2010) Innov. Food Sci. Emerg, 11 (1), pp. 1-12Simopoulos, A.P., The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids (2002) Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapy, 56 (8), pp. 365-379Temelli, F., Perspectives on supercritical fluid processing of fats and oils (2009) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 47 (3), pp. 583-590Reverchon, E., De Marco, I., Supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation of natural matter (2006) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 38 (2), pp. 146-166Herrero, M., Cifuentes, A., Ibañez, E., Sub-and supercritical fluid extraction of functional ingredients from different natural sources: Plants, food-by-products, algae and microalgae: A review (2006) Food Chem, 98 (1), pp. 136-148Akoh, C.C., Min, D.B., (2002) Food lipids: Chemistry, nutrition, and biochemistry, , M. Dekker: New YorkBurdge, G.C., Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adults (2005) Reproduction Nutrition Development, 45 (5), pp. 581-597Cobiac, L., Clifton, P.M., Abbey, M., Belling, G.B., Nestel, P.J., Lipid, lipoprotein, and hemostatic effects of fish vs fish-oil n-3 fatty acids in mildly hyperlipidemic males (1991) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 53 (5), pp. 1210-1216Bjerregaard, P., Pedersen, H.S., Mulvad, G., The associations of a marine diet with plasma lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure and obesity among the Inuit in Greenland (2000) European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 54 (9), pp. 732-737Lemaitre, R.N., King, I.B., Mozaffarian, D., Kuller, L.H., Tracy, R.P., Siscovick, D.S., n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatal ischemic heart disease, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study (2003) American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, pp. 319-325Mischoulon, D., Fava, M., Docosahexaenoic acid and omega-3 fatty acids in depression (2000) Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23, pp. 785-794Tanskanen, A., Hibbeln, J.R., Tuomilehto, J., Uutela, A., Haukkala, A., Viinamäki, H., Lehtonen, J., Vartiainen, E., Fish consumption and depressive symptoms in the general population in Finland (2001) Psychiatry Services, 52 (4), pp. 529-531Damsgaard, C.T., Lauritzen, L., Kjær, T.M.R., Holm, P.M.I., Fruekilde, M., Michaelsen, K.F., Frøkiær, H., Fish Oil Supplementation Modulates Immune Function in Healthy Infants (2007) The Journal of Nutrition, 137 (4), pp. 1031-1036vonSchacky, C., Harris, W.S., Cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (2007) Cardiovascular Research, 73, pp. 310-315Tziomalos, K., Athyros, V.G., Mikhailidis, D.P., Fish oils and vascular disease prevention: An update (2007) Current Medical Chemistry, 14, pp. 2622-2628Ariza-Ariza, R., Mestanza-Peralta, M., Cardiel, M.H., Omega-3 fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis: An overview (1998) Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 27 (6), pp. 366-370Chen, Y.Q., Edwards, I.J., Kridel, S.J., Thornburg, T., Berquin, I.M., Dietary fat-Gene interaction in cancer (2007) Cancer Metastasis Reviews, 26 (535-551)Calviello, G., Serini, S., Piccioni, E., n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and theprevention of colorectal cancer: Molecular mechanisms involved (2007) Current Medicinal Chemistry, 14 (29), pp. 3059-3069Reisman, J., Schachter, H.M., Dales, R.E., Tran, K., Kourad, K., Barnes, D., Sampson, M., Blackman, J., Treating asthma with omega-3 fatty acids: Where is the evidence? A systematic review (2006) BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 6, pp. 26-34Mazza, M., Pomponi, M., Janiri, L., Bria, P., Mazza, S., Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in neurological and psychiatric diseases: An overview (2007) Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 31, pp. 12-26Raventós, M., Duarte, S., Alarcón, R., Application and Possibilities of Supercritical CO2 Extraction in Food Processing Industry: An Overview (2002) Food Sci. Technol. Int, 8 (5), pp. 269-284Dunford, N.T., Temelli, F., LeBlanc, E., Supercritical CO2 extraction of oil and residual proteins from Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) as affected by moisture content (1997) J. Food Sci, 62 (2), pp. 289-294Dunford, N.T., Temelli, F., Extraction Conditions and Moisture Content of Canola Flakes as Related to Lipid Composition of Supercritical CO2 Extracts (1997) J. Food Sci, 62 (1), pp. 155-159Fiori, L., Grape seed oil supercritical extraction kinetic and solubility data: Critical approach and modeling (2007) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 43 (1), pp. 43-54Passos, C.P., Silva, R.M., Da Silva, F.A., Coimbra, M.A., Silva, C.M., Supercritical fluid extraction of grape seed (Vitis vinifera L.) oil. Effect of the operating conditions upon oil composition and antioxidant capacity (2010) Chem Eng J, 160 (2), pp. 634-640Ito, Y.C., Cao, X.L., Supercritical fluid extraction of grape seed oil and subsequent separation of free fatty acids by high-speed counter-current chromatography (2003) J. Chromatogr A, 1021 (1-2), pp. 117-124Mitra, P., Ramaswamy, H.S., Chang, K.S., Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed oil extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide and physicochemical properties of the oil (2009) J. Food Eng, 95 (1), pp. 208-213Sánchez-Vicente, Y., Cabañas, A., Renuncio, J.A.R., Pando, C., Supercritical fluid extraction of peach (Prunus persica) seed oil using carbon dioxide and ethanol (2009) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 49 (2), pp. 167-173Mezzomo, N., Mileo, B.R., Friedrich, M.T., Martinez, J., Ferreira, S.R.S., Supercritical fluid extraction of peach (Prunus persica) almond oil: Process yield and extract composition (2010) Bioresource Technol, 101 (14), pp. 5622-5632Martinez, M.L., Mattea, M.A., Maestri, D.M., Pressing and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of walnut oil (2008) J. Food Eng, 88 (3), pp. 399-404Oliveira, R., Rodrigues, M.F., Bernardo-Gil, M.G., Characterization and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of walnut oil (2002) J. Am Oil Chem Soc, 79 (3), pp. 225-230Bernardo-Gil, M.G., Grenha, J., Santos, J., Cardoso, P., Supercritical fluid extraction and characterisation of oil from hazelnut (2002) Eur J. Lipid Sci Tech, 104 (7), pp. 402-409Ozkal, S.G., Salgin, U., Yener, M.E., Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of hazelnut oil (2005) J. Food Eng, 69 (2), pp. 217-223Pradhan, R.C., Meda, V., Rout, P.K., Naik, S., Dalai, A.K., Supercritical CO2 extraction of fatty oil from flaxseed and comparison with screw press expression and solvent extraction processes (2010) J. Food Eng, 98 (4), pp. 393-397Follegatti-Romero, L.A., Piantino, C.R., Grimaldi, R., Cabral, F.A., Supercritical CO2 extraction of omega-3 rich oil from Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) seeds (2009) J. Supercrit Fluid, 49 (3), pp. 323-329Cheung, P.C.K., Temperature and pressure effects on supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of n-3 fatty acids from red seaweed (1999) Food Chem, 65 (3), pp. 399-403Tang, S., Qin, C., Wang, H., Li, S., Tian, S., Study on supercritical extraction of lipids and enrichment of DHA from oil-rich microalgae (2011) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 57 (1), pp. 44-49Mendes, R.L., Reis, A.D., Palavra, A.F., Supercritical CO2 extraction of [gamma]-linolenic acid and other lipids from Arthrospira (Spirulina)maxima: Comparison with organic solvent extraction (2006) Food Chem, 99 (1), pp. 57-63Mendes, R.L., Reis, A.D., Pereira, A.P., Cardoso, M.T., Palavra, A.F., Coelho, J.P., Supercritical CO2 extraction of [gamma]-linolenic acid (GLA) from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima: Experiments and modeling (2005) Chem Eng J, 105 (3), pp. 147-151Nodar, M.D., Gomez, A.M., de la Ossa, E.M., Characterisation and process development of supercritical fluid extraction of soybean oil (2002) Food Sci. Technol Int, 8 (6), pp. 337-342Reverchon, E., Osseo, L.S., Comparison of Processes for the Supercritical Carbon-Dioxide Extraction of Oil from Soybean Seeds (1994) J. Am Oil Chem Soc, 71 (9), pp. 1007-1012Vijayan, S., Byskal, D.P., Buckley, L.P., Separation of oil from fried chips by a supercritical extraction process: An overview of bench-scale test experience and process economics (1994) Supercritical fluid processing of food and biomaterials, pp. 75-92. , In, Rivzvi, S.S.H. Ed. Blackie Academic & Professional: London, UK(1986) In 142, Organization, , FAO, F. a. A. Ed. FAO: Rome-Italy, Paper: The production of fish meal and oilRubio-Rodríguez, N., De-Diego, S., Beltrán, S., Jaime, I., Sanz, M.T., Rovira, J., SFE of fish oil from fish by-products: A comparison with other production processes (2009) 9th International Symposium on SuperCritical Fluids 2009. New trends on supercritical fluids: Energy, Materials, Processing, pp. 18-20. , In, Arcachon FranceStaby, A., Mollerup, J., Separation of Constituents of Fish-Oil Using Supercritical Fluids-a Review of Experimental Solubility, Extraction, and Chromatographic Data (1993) Fluid Phase Equilibr, 91 (2), pp. 349-386Güçlü, U., Temelli, F., Correlating the Solubility Behavior of Fatty Acids, Mono-, Di-, and Triglycerides, and Fatty Acid Esters in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (2000) Ind Eng Chem Res, 39 (12), pp. 4756-4766Güçlü-Üstündag, O., Temelli, F., Solubility behavior of ternary systems of lipids, cosolvents and supercritical carbon dioxide and processing aspects (2005) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 36 (1), pp. 1-15Hardardottir, I., Kinsella, J.E., Extraction of Lipid and Cholesterol from Fish Muscle with Supercritical Fluids (1988) J. Food Sci, 53 (6), pp. 1656-1658Temelli, F., Leblanc, E., Fu, L., Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Oil from Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber-Scombrus) and Protein Functionality (1995) J. Food Sci, 60 (4), pp. 703-706Esquivel, M.M., Bandarra, N.M., Fontan, I., BernardoGil, M.G., Batista, I., Nunes, M.L., Empis, J.A., Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of sardine Sardina pilchardus oil (1997) Food Sci Technol-Leb, 30 (7), pp. 715-720Dunford, N.T., Goto, M., Temelli, F., Modeling of oil extraction with supercritical CO2 from Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) at different moisture contents (1998) J. Supercrit Fluid, 13 (1-3), pp. 303-309Létisse, M., Rozières, M., Hiol, A., Sergent, M., Comeau, L., Enrichment of EPA and DHA from sardine by supercritical fluid extraction without organic modifier: I. Optimization of extraction conditions (2006) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 38 (1), pp. 27-36Rubio-Rodriguez, N., de Diego, S.M., Beltran, S., Jaime, I., Sanz, M.T., Rovira, J., Supercritical fluid extraction of the omega-3 rich oil contained in hake (Merluccius capensis-Merluccius paradoxus) by-products: Study of the influence of process parameters on the extraction yield and oil quality (2008) J. Supercrit Fluid, 47 (2), pp. 215-226Nei, H.Z.N., Fatemi, S., Mehrnia, M.R., Salimi, A., Mathematical modeling and study of mass transfer parameters in supercritical fluid extraction of fatty acids from Trout powder (2008) Biochemical Engineering Journal, 40 (1), pp. 72-78Sahena, F., Zaidul, I.S.M., Jinap, S., Yazid, A.M., Khatib, A., Norulaini, N.A.N., Fatty acid compositions of fish oil extracted from different parts of Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) using various techniques of supercritical CO2 extraction (2010) Food Chem, 120 (3), pp. 879-885Zaidul, I.S.M., Sahena, F., Jinap, S., Jahurul, M.H.A., Khatib, A., Norulaini, N.A.N., Extraction of fish oil from the skin of Indian mackerel using supercritical fluids (2010) J. Food Eng, 99 (1), pp. 63-69Aro, H., Järvenpää, E., Könkö, K., Sihvonen, M., Hietaniemi, V., Huopalahti, R., Isolation and purification of egg yolk phospholipids using liquid extraction and pilot-scale supercritical fluid techniques (2009) Eur Food Res Technol, 228 (6), pp. 857-863Boselli, E., Caboni, M.F., Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of phospholipids from dried egg yolk without organic modifier (2000) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 19 (1), pp. 45-50Dionisi, F., Hug, B., Aeschlimann, J.M., Houllemar, A., Supercritical CO2 Extraction for Total Fat Analysis of Food Products (1999) J. Food Sci, 64 (4), pp. 612-615Taylor, S.L., Eller, F.J., King, J.W., A comparison of oil and fat content in oilseeds and ground beef-using supercritical fluid ex traction and related analytical techniques (1997) Food Res Int, 30 (5), pp. 365-370Bligh, E.G., Dyer, W.J., A rapid method of total lipid extration and purification (1959) Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37 (8), pp. 911-917Sovova, H., Kucera, J., Jez, J., Rate of the Vegetable Oil Extraction with Supercritical CO2. II. Extraction of Grape Oil (1994) Chem Eng Sci, 49 (3), pp. 415-420Zaidul, I.S.M., Nik Norulaini, N.A., Mohd Omar, A.K., Smith, J.R.L., Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of palm kernel oil from palm kernel (2007) J. Food Eng, 79 (3), pp. 1007-1014Comim, S.R.R., Madella, K., Oliveira, J.V., Ferreira, S.R.S., Supercritical fluid extraction from dried banana peel (Musa spp., genomic group AAB): Extraction yield, mathematical modeling, economical analysis and phase equilibria (2010) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 54 (1), pp. 30-37Bhattacharjee, P., Singhal, R.S., Tiwari, S.R., Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of cottonseed oil (2007) J. Food Eng, 79 (3), pp. 892-898Nodar, M.D., Gómez, A.M., de la Ossa, E.M., Characterisation and process development of supercritical fluid extraction of soybean oil (2002) Food Sci Technol Int, 8 (6), pp. 337-342Seal, C.E., Kranner, I., Pritchard, H.W., Quantification of Seed Oil from Species with Varying Oil Content using Supercritical Fluid Extraction (2008) Phytochem Analysis, 19 (6), pp. 493-498Ferreira de França, L., Reber, G., Meireles, M.A.A., Machado, N.T., Brunner, G., Supercritical extraction of carotenoids and lipids from buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), a fruit from the Amazon region (1999) J. Supercrit Fluid, 14 (3), pp. 247-256Treyvaud Amiguet, V., Kramp, K.L., Mao, J., McRae, C., Goulah, A., Kimpe, L.E., Blais, J.M., Arnason, J.T., Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of polyunsaturated fatty acids from Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis Kreyer) processing by-products Food Chem In Press, Corrected ProofSánchez-Camargo, A.P., Martinez-Correa, H.A., Paviani, L.C., Cabral, F.A., Supercritical CO2 extraction of lipids and astaxanthin from Brazilian redspotted shrimp waste (Farfantepenaeus paulensis) (2011) The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 56 (2), pp. 164-173Taylor, D.L., Larick, D.K., Fractionation and characterization of extracts of chicken fat obtained with supercritical carbon dioxide (1995) Developments in Food Science, 37, pp. 1353-1363. , In, George, C. Ed. ElsevierBerg, H., Mågård, M., Johansson, G., Mathiasson, L., Development of a supercritical fluid extraction method for determination of lipid classes and total fat in meats and its comparison with conventional methods (1997) J. Chromatogr A, 785 (1-2), pp. 345-352Ivanov, D., Čolović, R., Bera, O., Lević, J., Sredanović, S., Supercritical fluid extraction as a method for fat content determination and preparative technique for fatty acid analysis in mesh feed for pigs (2011) Eur Food Res Technol, 233 (2), pp. 343-350Luque de Castro, M.D., Jiménez-Camona, M.M., Where is supercritical fluid extraction going? (2000) TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 19 (4), pp. 223-228Zougagh, M., Valcárcel, M., Ríos, A., Supercritical fluid extraction: A critical review of its analytical usefulness (2004) TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 23 (5), pp. 399-405Reis, A., Fernandes, H.M., Empis, A., Novais, J.M., Effect of extraction and purification methods on fatty acid composition and gamma-linolenic acid yield and purity from Arthrospira (Spirulina) maxima biomass (1998) Feuga marine microorganisms for industry, pp. 34-38. , In, Le gal, Y.Muller, A. Eds. IFREMER: Plouzané(France)Señoráns, F.J., Ibañez, E., Analysis of fatty acids in foods by supercritical fluid chromatography (2002) Anal Chim Acta, 465 (1-2), pp. 131-144François, I., Sandra, P., Comprehensive supercritical fluid chromatography x reversed phase liquid chromatography for the analysis of the fatty acids in fish oil (2009) J. Chromatogr A, 1216 (18), pp. 4005-4012Sandra, P., Medvedovici, A., Zhao, Y., David, F., Characterization of triglycerides in vegetable oils by silver-ion packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and coordination ion spray (2002) J. Chromatogr A, 974 (1-2), pp. 231-241Rezaei, K.A., Temelli, F., Using supercritical fluid chromatography to determine diffusion coefficients of lipids in supercritical CO2 (2000) J. Supercrit. Fluid, 17 (1), pp. 35-44Yip, H., Ashraf-Khorassani, M., Taylor, L., Feasibility of Phospholipids Separation by Packed Column SFC with Mass Spectrometric and Light Scattering Detection (2007) Chromatographia, 65 (11), pp. 655-665Bamba, T., Shimonishi, N., Matsubara, A., Hirata, K., Nakazawa, Y., Kobayashi, A., Fukusaki, E., High throughput and exhaustive analysis of diverse lipids by using supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry for metabolomics (2008) Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 105 (5), pp. 460-469