초록 |
The microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis biologically converts CO2 to Astaxanthin with powerful antioxidant activity. It has received great attention due to its low carbon footprint and economic viability. However, the low efficiency of the cultivation process is a major obstacle to commercial production. Here, the number of Astaxanthin-containing cells was rapidly increased by supplying additional nitrogen to fully grown cells to induce efficient cyst germination. After germination, these cells rapidly converted from zooids to cyst by nitrogen depletion while maintaining a Astaxanthin content of 5.5%. As a result, Astaxanthin productivity increased by 2.1 times compared to batch culture. In addition, the germination-based semi-continuous process yielded 2.6-fold higher Astaxanthin productivity in large-scale cultures using power plant flue gas and polymer photo bioreactors. This study provides a promising cultivation strategy for the commercial mass production of natural Astaxanthin. |