Novel method for high-efficiently producing astaxanthin by utilizing microalgae

Abstract

The present invention involves a new method using micro-algae for the high-efficiency production of astaxanthin, said method comprising steps including the heterotrophic culture of micro-algae, dilution, light-induced culture, harvesting of algae cells and the extraction of astaxanthin. The method of the present invention takes full advantage of the rapid growth of micro-algae in the heterotrophic culture stage and of the high accumulation of astaxanthin brought about by the light-induced culture of the great quantity of algae cells obtained through said heterotrophic culture to significantly increase the efficiency of production of astaxanthin in micro-algae and thereby achieve low-cost, high-efficiency and large scale production of astaxanthin through micro-algae. The method not only provides an important technical means to address the large-scale industrial production of astaxanthin through micro-algae but also ensures an ample source of raw material for the widespread utilization of astaxanthin.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention belongs to the field of microalgae biotechnology, and relates to a method for cultivating microalgae to produce astaxanthin. Background technique [0002] Astaxanthin, the chemical name is 3,3'-dihydroxy-4,4'-diketonyl-β,β'-carotene, and the molecular formula is C 40 h 52 o 4 , with a relative molecular mass of 596.86, also known as astaxanthin, astaxanthin or lobster shell pigment, is a ketone carotenoid. The color is pink, fat-soluble, insoluble in water, easily soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, acetone, benzene and carbon disulfide. The chemical structure of astaxanthin is composed of 4 isoprene units connected by conjugated double bonds, and 2 isoprene units at both ends to form a six-membered ring structure. The chemical structure is shown in the figure below. Since the chemical structure of astaxanthin contains a long conjugated unsaturated double bond system, its structure is easily destroyed by light, heat, oxide...

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Problems solved by technology

[0023] (3) When heterotrophy is converted to photoautotrophy, the algae liquid in the tank is directly used for photoautotrophy without adding medium or dilution. There will be two problems in this way: 1) First, a large number of cells will die: due to The algae fluid was not diluted to a lower density to maintain a cell density of 5.5g / L at the end of the heterotrophic culture. Due to the self-shading effect of the algae cells during high-density photoautotrophy, a large number of cells could not receive sufficient light, so that the algae A large number of cells died, from 650,000 cells / ml at the beginning of photoautotrophy to 210,000 cells / ml at the end of photoautotrophy, and the number of algae cells lost about 70%; 2) The second is the shrimp green in the cells The increase in astaxanthin content is effective: as the original solution is directly used for photoautotrophy without dilution, and the nutritional requirements of Haematococcus pluvialis for heterotrophs and autotrophs are different, resulting in a small increase in astaxanthin content in algal cells. After 8 days of induction, the content of astaxanthin in algae cells increased from 0.57% to 1.85%

However, the patent for the production of astaxanthin by "heterotrophic-dilution-light-induced" tandem culture of Haematococcus pluvialis has not yet been retrieved

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