Microbial Astaxanthin Production from Agro-Industrial Wastes—Raw Materials, Processes, and Quality

The antioxidant and food pigment astaxanthin (AX) can be produced by several microorganisms, in auto- or heterotrophic conditions. Regardless of the organism, AX concentrations culture media are low, typically about 10–40 mg/L. Therefore, large amounts nutrients water necessary to prepare media. Using low-cost substrates such as agro-industrial solid liquid wastes is desirable for cost reduction. This opens up opportunity coupling production other existing processes, taking advantage available residues co-products a biorefinery approach. Indeed, scientific literature shows that many attempts being made produce from residues. However, this brings challenges regarding raw material variability, process conditions, product titers, downstream processing. text overviews nutritional requirements suitable producing AX-rich biomass: productivity ranges, residue pretreatment, how selected microorganism combinations affect further biomass quality. State-of-the-art technology indicates that, while H. pluvialis will remain an important source AX, X. dendrorhous may used novel processes using