![Sample our Food Science & Technology journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5936/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Food-Science-Technology.jpg"})
Abstract
Haematococcus pluvialis is the richest source of natural astaxanthin, but the production of H. pluvialis-derived astaxanthin is usually limited by its slow cell proliferation and astaxanthin accumulation. Efforts to enhance biomass productivity, astaxanthin accumulation, and extraction are ongoing. This review highlights different approaches that have previously been studied in microalgal species for enhanced biomass productivity, as well as optimized methods for astaxanthin accumulation and extraction, and how these methods could be combined to bypass the challenges limiting natural astaxanthin production, particularly in H. pluvialis, at all stages (biomass production, and astaxanthin accumulation and extraction). Biotechnological approaches, such as overexpressing low CO2 inducible genes, utilizing complementary carbon sources, CRISPR-Cas9 bioengineering, and the use of active compounds, for biomass productivity are outlined. Direct astaxanthin extraction from H. pluvialis zoospores and Morocco’s potential for microalgal-based astaxanthin production are equally discussed. This review emphasizes the need to engineer an optimized H. pluvialis-derived astaxanthin production system combining two or more of these strategies for increased growth, and astaxanthin productivity, to compete in the larger, lower-priced market in aquaculture and nutraceutical sectors.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks and acknowledgment to the MAScIR-UM6P research and development board for supporting the project and study on astaxanthin production. The authors gratefully acknowledge the members of the Green Biotechnology laboratory of the MAScIR Foundation for their support and scientific contributions.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.