Recently, the authors proposed a simple method for the extraction of lipid from high-moisture microalgae by using dimethyl ether (DME) without drying, cell disruption, and heating of the extractant. Herein, the versatility of this method was evaluated using several species of natural blue-green microalgae. Direct extraction of lipids from various species of high-moisture microalgae was successfully achieved using this method, with an extraction yield of 9.9-40.1% of the dry weight of the microalgae. The lipids extraction yield and molecular weight distribution achieved using the DME extraction method is comparable to those achieved using the widely used Bligh-Dyer's (BD) method. The lipids were characterized by low oxygen/nitrogen and high carbon/hydrogen content with a high calorific value of 33.8 MJ/kg, reflecting the high quality of the extracted oil. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.