Development of astaxanthin production from citrus peel extract usingXanthophyllomyces dendrorhous

Developing a use for the inedible parts of citrus, mainly peel, would have great environmental and economic benefits worldwide. Astaxanthin is a value-added fine chemical that affects fish pigmentation and has recently been used in healthcare products for humans, resulting in an increased demand. This study aimed to produce astaxanthin from a citrus, ponkan, peel extract using the yeastXanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, which has the ability to use both pentose and hexose. Feeding on only ponkan peel extract enhancedX.dendrorhousgrowth and the concomitant astaxanthin production. Additionally, we determined that pectin and its arabinose content were the main substrate and sole carbon source, respectively, forX. dendrorhousgrowth and astaxanthin production. Thus, ponkan peel extract could become a valuable resource forX. dendrorhous-based astaxanthin production. Using citrus peel extract for microbial fermentation will allow the development of processes that produce value-added chemicals from agricultural byproducts.

Automated summary

This study demonstrated the production of astaxanthin from citrus peel extract using X. dendrorhous. Pectin and its arabinose content were found to be the main substrate and sole carbon source for X. dendrorhous growth and astaxanthin production. Utilizing citrus peel extract for microbial fermentation shows potential for producing value-added chemicals from agricultural byproducts.