Biology 2018, 7(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology7010002
Media Screening for Obtaining Haematococcus pluvialis Red Motile Macrozooids Rich in Astaxanthin and Fatty Acids
1
Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Sheffield University, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
2
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban PA37 1QA, UK
3
The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 28 November 2017 / Revised: 20 December 2017 / Accepted: 23 December 2017 / Published: 26 December 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microalgal Biotechnology)
Abstract
Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis is commercially produced in a two-stage process, involving green vegetative (macrozooid) and red aplanospore stages. This approach has been scaled up to an industrial process but constraints limit its commercial success and profitability, including: contamination issues, high pigment extraction costs, requirements for high light levels and photo-bleaching in the red stage. However, in addition to the aplanospore stage, this alga can produce astaxanthin in vegetative palmelloid and motile macrozooid cells. In this study, a two-stage process utilising different media in the green stage, with subsequent re-suspension in medium without nitrate was employed to optimise the formation of red motile macrozooids. Optimal growth in the green phase was obtained on cultivation under mixotrophic conditions in EG:JM media followed by re-suspension in medium without nitrate resulting in red motile macrozooids with an astaxanthin content of 2.74% (78.4% of total carotenoids) and a lipid content of 35.3% (rich in unsaturated fatty acids. It is envisaged that the red motile macrozooids could be harvested and fed as a whole-cell product directly in the animal feed and aquaculture sectors, or used as a blend of carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in nutraceutical products. View Full-TextKeywords:
algal biotechnology; astaxanthin; carotenoids; fatty acids; Haematococcus; red motile macrozooids
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Butler, T.O.; McDougall, G.J.; Campbell, R.; Stanley, M.S.; Day, J.G. Media Screening for Obtaining Haematococcus pluvialis Red Motile Macrozooids Rich in Astaxanthin and Fatty Acids. Biology 2018, 7, 2.
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