The main objective of this work was to investigate the characteristics of the in vitro release of beta-carotene encapsulated in poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) using the solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) technique. The release tests were performed using encapsulated complex with solute loading from 2.24 to 27.5% and encapsulation efficiency from 7.75 to 55.54%. The release profile assays were performed in ethyl acetate, n-hexane and anhydrous ethanol, and monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometer concentration analysis. Results indicated higher initial release rates in ethyl acetate and in n-hexane, with cumulative release percentage varying from 31.50 to 69.58% and from 42.08 to 55.96%, respectively. For anhydrous ethanol the maximum concentration was reached at 180 min, 300 min and 10 days, depending on the initial amount of beta-carotene, with cumulative release ranging from 45.27 to 88.22%. In general, the beta-carotene release can be controlled by the organic solvent used and by the initial amount of solute encapsulated, aspects that help the selection of the conditions to achieve the desired release profiles for a specific application. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.