Production of carotenoids from microalgae cultivated using agroindustrial wastes

The aim of this work was to evaluate the production of carotenoids from microalgae Phormidium autumnale cultivated using agroindustrial wastes. The carotenoid profile from microalgae biomass was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors. A total of twenty carotenoids were separated from the biomass. The all-trans-beta-carotene (70.22 mu g/g), all-trans-zeaxanthin (26.25 mu g/g), all-trans-lutein (21.92 mu g/g), all-trans-echinenone (19.87 mu g/g) and cis-echinenone (15.70 mu g/g) were the major ones. For the production of single-cell carotenoids it is possible to estimate a total carotenoid production of up to 107,902.5 kg/year in an industrial scale. Based on these results, we observed the potential of P. autumnale to the production of microalgal carotenoid in agroindustrial wastewater. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.