Diversity and Distribution of Carotenogenic Algae in Europe: A Review

Abstract

Microalgae are the richest source of natural carotenoids, which are valuable pigments with a high share of benefits. Often, carotenoid-producing algae inhabit specific biotopes with unfavorable or even extremal conditions. Such biotopes, including alpine snow fields and hypersaline ponds, are widely distributed in Europe. They can serve as a source of new strains for biotechnology. The number of algal species used for obtaining these compounds on an industrial scale is limited. The data on them are poor. Moreover, some of them have been reported in non-English local scientific articles and theses. This review aims to summarize existing data on microalgal species, which are known as potential carotenoid producers in biotechnology. These include Haematococcus and Dunaliella, both well-known to the scientific community, as well as less-elucidated representatives. Their distribution will be covered throughout Europe: from the Greek Mediterranean coast in the south to the snow valleys in Norway in the north, and from the ponds in Amieiro (Portugal) in the west to the saline lakes and mountains in Crimea (Ukraine) in the east. A wide spectrum of algal secondary carotenoids is reviewed: β-carotene, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, echinenone, adonixanthin, and adonirubin. For convenience, the main concepts of biology of carotenoid-producing algae are briefly explained.

Production of Astaxanthin by Animal Cells via Introduction of an Entire Astaxanthin Biosynthetic Pathway

“…Therefore, these genes (crtW and crtZ) were considered for further study to increase the astaxanthin content and stability in HEK293T cells. Furthermore, the exploration of alternate genes sourced from various microorganisms, such as Pseudospongiococcum protococcoides, Haematococcus rubicundus, and Coelastrella aeroterrestrica warrant in-depth examination in future research endeavors [42]. According to the RP-HPLC results (Figure 2A-C), we successfully empowered the animal cells in vitro to biosynthesize astaxanthin from β-carotene, as compared with nontransfected cells supplied with β-carotene as a control.…”

Astaxanthin as a King of Ketocarotenoids: Structure, Synthesis, Accumulation, Bioavailability and Antioxidant Properties

“…Considering this price difference, replacing synthetic astaxanthin by natural astaxanthin is not cost effective and therefore requires strategies and techniques to increase astaxanthin production for cutting down the cost of its production. This includes photobioreactors and economically efficient downstream processing [ 18 ] and/or reconsidering astaxanthin sources besides Haematococcus lacustris , which is the major producer of astaxanthin (about 4% of dry weight) and is already cultivated at an industrial scale [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Effects of Natural and Synthetic Astaxanthin on Growth, Body Color, and Transcriptome and Metabolome Profiles in the Leopard Coralgrouper (Plectropomus leopardus)

“…Synthetic astaxanthin is obtained by chemical synthesis using chemical raw materials and is a racemic mixture with an optical isomer ratio of 1:2:1 (3S,3′S:3R,3′S:3R,3′R) [ 25 , 28 ]. Natural astaxanthin is obtained from microalgae, such as Bracteacoccus aggregatus BM5/15, yeasts Phaffia rhodozyma , or crustaceans, such as shrimp and crabs [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The microalgae Haematococcus lacustris (formerly Haematococcus pluvialis ) was reported to have abundant astaxanthin [ 32 ].…”