Instigation of neurosporaxanthin from O16N isolated from Gulf of Khambhat.

Compounds of natural origin are in burgeoning demand driven by heightened awareness of their health benefits. We present the maiden study on the production of neurosporaxanthin, a carotenoid, from marine O16N. Analysing various physical parameters including carbon source, agitation speed, temperature, salt and pH, we found that agitation adversely affects biomass and carotenoid production. Isolate O16N grew well, when medium was supplemented with mannitol or sorbitol, CaCl at pH 6 and best carotenoid production was observed when sorbitol or fructose and CaCl was supplemented in media at pH 7 at 37 °C in static condition with the maximum carotenoid yield of 1097 mg/L, whopping 18-fold more as compared to nutrient medium. Furthermore, thorough characterisation identified the produced carotenoid as neurosporoxanthin. These findings highlight the potential of marine O16N as a valuable source for neurosporaxanthin production and emphasise the importance of optimising physical parameters for maximising carotenoid yield.