Macrocystis pyrifera source of nutrients for the production of carotenoids by a marine yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

Aims: To evaluate an aqueous extract of Macrocystis pyrifera as a nutrient source for the production of carotenoids by a marine Rhodotorula mucilaginosa isolated from seaweed samples.

Materials And Results: The effect of different culture conditions on the concentration of biomass and total pigments was evaluated using a Box-Behnken experimental design. The seaweed extract contained 15% w w of protein and 20% w w of carbohydrate; the main sugar in this fraction was trehalose (78%). The culture conditions that maximize the total pigment concentration (1·84 ± 0·03 mg l ) were initial pH equal to 7, yeast extract as nitrogen source at a concentration of 4 g l , seaweed extract concentration at 25% v v , incubation performed at 25°C and 150 rev min during 6 days. Under optimal growth conditions, three carotenoids were identified among the pigments produced by R. mucilaginosa, lycopene (38·4 ± 9·4%), β-carotene (21·8 ± 1·5%) and astaxanthin (1·8 ± 0·3%).

Conclusions: Carotenoids of commercial interest (lycopene, β-carotene and astaxanthin) can be produced using a marine R. mucilaginosa cultivated with an aqueous extract of M. pyrifera as nutrient source. The total pigment concentration in the culture ranged between 0·82 and 1·84 mg l , and was significantly affected by the concentration of the seaweed extract, and yeast extract.

Significance And Impact Of The Study: This work demonstrates that M. pyrifera can be used as a nutrient source for the production of carotenoids by the marine yeast.