Astaxanthin production by newly isolated Rhodosporidium toruloides: Optimization of medium compositions by response surface methodology

Astaxanthin is a valuable carotenoid pigment, which has been extensively used in various industries. In this study, Rhodosporidium toruloides was first used as a new microbial source for producing natural astaxanthin. Various carbon, nitrogen, and mineral sources were evaluated for their effect on astaxanthin production of R. toruloides. Response surface methodology (RSM) was then used to optimize the medium compositions for maximizing the astaxanthin concentration. Among the examined nutrients, glucose, peptone, and KH2PO4 were the most efficient carbon, nitrogen, and mineral source for astaxanthin production, respectively. Through RSM, a maximum astaxanthin concentration of 927.11 µg l-1 was obtained by using Hansen broth containing 83.74 g l-1 glucose, 20.01 g l-1 peptone, and 6.19 g l-1 KH2PO4. This study suggested that R. toruloides is a promising candidate to produce natural astaxanthin.