Astaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid. It belongs to a larger class of chemical compounds known as terpenes built from five-carbon precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate, and dimethylallyl diphosphate.

1. Astaxanthin production
from
Algal culture
- Varnit Chauhan(17/IBT/042)
Gautam Buddha University, Greater
NOIDA

2. What is Astaxanthin?
❏ 3,3′-dihydroxy-β, β′-carotene-4,4′-dione
❏ A xanthophyll carotenoid.
❏ Reddish- orange in colour.
❏ Natural Astaxanthin is considered as a food dye by European Commision.

3. Source of Astaxanthin
❏ Natural sources include Algae, yeast, salmon,
shrimp, and crayfish.
❏ Major sources are Haematococcus pluvialis,
Chlorella zofingiensis, Chlorococcum, and Phaffia
rhodozyma.
❏ Of the above mentioned Haematococcus pluvialis
accumulates upto 3.8% of its dry weight.

4. Industrial scale production by Haematococcus pluvialis
❏ The process of production of Astaxanthin by Haematococcus pluvialis consist
of 5 phases namely:
❏ Harvesting phase.
❏ Cell disruption phase.
❏ Drying phase.
❏ Extraction phase.
❏ Residual biomass treatment phase.

5. Harvesting
phase
Bead milling
Spray drying
Supercritical CO2
extraction
Anaerobic digestion

6. Harvesting phase
❏ Two step approach is used for harvesting
microalga.
❏ Disk-stack centrifugation + Gravity
sedimentation.
❏ Disk-stack centrifugation concentrate
algal slurries upto 15% solid.
❏ Alone is cost and time intensive
therefore used in combination after
gravity sedimentation.

7. Cell disruption phase
❏ Approach used: Bead milling.
❏ Bead used are ceramic beads(Alumina).
❏ Main operating parameters:
❏ Bead filing, bead density, bead diameter, speed of agitator, feed rate.

8. Drying phase
❏ Approach used ; Spray
drying.
❏ Here the dryer and
cyclone were designed to
be cylindrical (d=h) and a
60° conical chamber.
❏ Biomass recovery
efficiency = 100%

9. Extraction phase
❏ Approach used: Supercritical CO2 Extraction
❏ Nontoxic, cheap, inert and low critical temperature and pressure.
❏ Two stage reciprocating compressor is used.

10. Residual biomass treatment phase.
❏ Approach used: Anaerobic digestion.
❏ Cost effective and environment friendly.
❏ Pasteurization is done before anaerobic digestion.

11. Applications
❏ Aid age-related vision loss.
❏ Have antioxidant properties.
❏ Anti-inflammatory
❏ Help in prevention of cardiovascular disease.
❏ Have anti-diabetic properties as well

12. References:
❏ Nancy Zgheib et al 2018 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 323 012011.
❏ Jannel, S., Caro, Y., Bermudes, M., & Petit, T. (2020). Novel insights into the
biotechnological production of Haematococcus pluvialis-derived
astaxanthin: Advances and key challenges to allow its industrial use as novel
food ingredient. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(10), 789.
❏ Researchgate
❏ Google images