Selection and characterization of carotenoid-producing yeasts from Campinas region, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to select and identify yeasts from Brazil capable of producing carotenoids. Pigmented yeasts were isolated from soil, leaves, fruits, flowers and a processed product. The samples were incubated at 30ºC in Erlenmeyer flasks, containing YM broth. After 48 hours, they were inoculated in Petri dishes with YM agar, and incubated at 30ºC during 120 hours. The yeast colonies, which presented yellow to red coloration, were transferred to culture tubes containing YM agar, and incubated at 30ºC for 72 hours. Out of 242 samples, only five had yellow to red color at high intensity. These highly pigmented yeasts were re-isolated in Petri dishes with YM agar and then transferred to tubes with GPYM agar. Identification through morphological and reproduction characteristics, along with physiological and biochemical tests, classified four strains as R. mucilaginosa and one strain as R. graminis. The main carotenoids extracted from them were identified through HPLC analysis as β-carotene and torulene. The strains showed potential as promising microorganisms for the commercial production of carotenoids.

Screening of microorganisms for production of carotenoids Selección de microorganismos para la producción de carotenoides

“…Libkind & Broock (2005) selected and identified the yeasts Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula colostri, Rhodosporidium babjevae, Sporobolomyces longiusculus, Sporidiobolus patagonicus and Cryptococcus sp. Maldonade et al (2007Maldonade et al ( , 2008 screened and identified yeasts able to produce carotenoids. Pigmented yeasts were isolated from soil, leaves, fruits, flowers, and from processed products in decomposition (tomato pulp, tomato sauce, and peach jam).…”

“…Some other reports have shown the production of carotenoids by strain selected from different sources. Maldonade et al (2007Maldonade et al ( , 2008 selected and identified yeasts from Brazil capable of producing carotenoids, obtaining maximum total carotenoids of 132 mg g 71 for Rhodotorula glutinis. Buzzini & Martini (2000) evaluated the production of carotenoids by R. glutinis in different agro-industrial substrates (grape must, glucose syrup, beetroot molasses, corn flour hydrolysate, and soybean).…”

“…Natural colorants from plant sources, however, suffer from a diminishing or unstable supply of raw materials, *Corresponding author. Email: veunice@uricer.edu.br subject to climatic conditions, as well as varying colorant levels and quality of the final product (Maldonade, Rodriguez-Amaya, & Scamparini, 2008;Maldonade, Scamparini, & Rodriguez-Amaya, 2007).…”

“…The literature reports some genera of microorganisms producing carotenoids such as Rhodotorula (yeast), Rhodosporidium (yeast), Sporidiobolus (yeast), Sporobolomyces (yeast), Blakeslea (mold), Cryptococcus (mold), Candida (mold) and Metschnikowia (yeast) (Bhosale & Grade, 2001;Buzzini, Martini, Gaetani, Turchetti, Pagnoni, & Davol, 2005;Davoli, Mierau, & Weber, 2004;La´vikova´& Vadkertiova´, 2003;Libkind & Broock, 2005;Libkind & Broock, 2006;Liu & Wu, 2006;Maldonade et al, 2007Maldonade et al, , 2008Valduga et al, 2008a;Valduga, Vale´rio, Tatsch, Treichel, Furigo, & Di Luccio, 2009a). In this context, the main objective of this study was screening microorganisms capable of producing carotenoids of possible commercial importance.…”

APLICAÇÃO DE REJEITOS INDUSTRIAIS NA BIOSSÍNTESE DE CAROTENOIDES POR Rhodotorula mucilaginosa EQTT1

“…Dentre os microrganismos produtores de carotenoides, algumas espécies de leveduras são biotecnologicamente interessantes, por sua capacidade de utilização de diferentes substratos (MALDONADE, 2007;TATSCH, 2008), bom rendimento em biomassa, e serem fontes potenciais de proteínas e lipídeos (SQUINA & MERCADANTE, 2003;MALDONADE, 2003). Em especial, as leveduras do gênero Rhodotorula, por serem capazes de produzir carotenoides a partir de subprodutos industriais, o que minimiza os custos da produção (AKSU & EREN, 2007;VALDUGA et al, 2007).…”