Astaxanthin Production by Autotrophic Cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis-A Success Story

NIIZAWA, IGNACIO; ESPINACO, BRENDA YANINA; ZORRILLA, SUSANA E.; SIHUFE, GUILLERMO ADRIAN

Global Perspectives on Astaxanthin

Academic Press

Año: 2021; p. 71 - 89

Microalgae are very heterogeneous groups of autotrophic, ubiquitous, unicellular microorganisms that represent an important source of bioactive compounds capable of being used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Hence, culture of microalgae as potential candidates in biorefinery processes has become an important research subject over the past decades. The species Haematococcus pluvialis has been recognized as one of the best natural sources of astaxanthin, a pigment considered one of the most powerful antioxidants in nature. However, nowadays synthetic astaxanthin still dominates the global market beyond concerns about the safety of the synthetic product direct consumption by humans and animals. This can partly be explained by the fact that the costs associated with microalgal culture are higher when compared with the chemical synthesis process. This chapter summarizes the most critical aspects of the microalgal growth, pigment biosynthesis, biomass harvesting, cell disruption and pigment extraction in natural astaxanthin production by Haematococcus pluvialis autotrophic cultures.