Use of low-cost agro products as substrate in semi-continuous process to obtain carotenoids by Sporidiobolus salmonicolor

This work has studied the semi-continuous carotenoids production by Sporidiobolus salmonicolor (CBS 2636) comparing the use of complex substrates and agroindustrial residues. The maximum total carotenoids concentration was 4376 mu g L-1 in a 264 h period with complex substrates (80 g L-1 glycerol, 5 g L-1 malt extract, and 15 g L-1 peptone) and 7388 mu g L-1 in a 288 h period with agroindustrial residues (80 g L-1 crude glycerol, 80 g L-1 corn maceration water, and 20 g L-1 rice parboiling water), showing an of approximate 54% increase, under the following conditions: 25 degrees C, pHinitial of 4.0, 180 rpm agitation rate, 1.5 vvm aeration rate, with 50% working volume cut. The maximum productivity on total carotenoids was 34.8 and 41.4 g L-1 h(-1), the maximum productivity on cells was 0.058 and 0.104 g L-1 h(-1), with specific maximum growth speeds of 0.05 and 0.08 h(-1), obtaining the major carotenoid all-trans-beta-carotene (83% and 81%), respectively.