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High-titer production of astaxanthin by the semi-industrial fermentation of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous

2010; Elsevier BV; Volume: 148; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.05.004

1873-4863

Juan Luis de la Fuente, Marta Rodríguez‐Sáiz, Carmen Schleissner, Bruno Dı́ez, Enrique Peiro, José Luis Barredo,

Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms

An improved semi-industrial process for astaxanthin production by fermentation of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous has been developed. The culture medium was designed at the flask scale, reaching an astaxanthin cellular content of 3.0 mgg(-1) cell weight and a volumetric yield of 119 mgL(-1) broth. Astaxanthin production in flask was significantly improved by white light (4.0 mgg(-1) and 221 mgL(-1)), and by ultraviolet light (4.4 mgg(-1) and 235 mgL(-1)). The scale-up to 10- and 800-L fermentors was developed by feeding with glucose. Representative data for illuminated fermentation processes are presented and discussed at the 10-L scale, where 420 mgL(-1) (4.7 mgg(-1)) astaxanthin were produced, and the 800-L scale, with productivities of 350 mgL(-1) (4.1 mgg(-1)) astaxanthin. The purity of the astaxanthin in the broth was about 84%, with accumulation of the following carotenoids other than astaxanthin: 4% beta-carotene, 4% canthaxanthin, 5% HDCO, 1% zeaxanthin and 2% phoenicoxanthin. This technology can be easily scaled-up to an industrial application for the production of this xanthophyll widely demanded nowadays.