Abstract:Lutein is one kind of natural pigments that is good for human health.At present，it has been extracted mainly from marigold in industry.Microalgae have become one of the potential sources of lutein production due to its short growth cycle and relatively high content.In this paper，the research progress of highyielding lutein algae species，the control strategy of raising the yield and metabolism of lutein，the extraction process of lutein and the functional activity of lutein were reviewed，which provided theoretical reference for promoting the industrial production of lutein as early as possible.