Abstract: In order to evaluate the possibility of extracting astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma disrupted cell wall by DMSO method, influences of several factors such as type of solvent, dosage of DMSO, temperature, the ratio of solid to liquid, extraction time and extracting times on recovery of astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma were studied and conditions for disrupting the yeast cell wall were optimized. Results showed that acetone was the optimal solvent for extracting astaxanthin. The effect significance of extraction temperature, the ratio of solid to liquid and extraction time were gradually decreased on recovery of astaxanthin.The optimal conditions obtained from single factor and orthogonal experiment were as follows: acetone as the extracting solvent, 1∶ 1.5 dosage of DMSO, 2 times of extraction, 45 ℃ of extraction temperature, 1 ∶ 20 of the ratio of solid to liquid and 40 min of extraction time. Under the optimal conditions, the astaxanthin recovery from Phaffia rhodozyma was4.42 mg/g.