An assessment of biopotential of three cyanobacterial isolates from Antarctic for carotenoid production

Abstract

Specific growth rates and carotenoid contents of three Antarc-tic and tropical strains of cyanobacteria viz. Anabaena sp., Phor-midium sp. and Nostoc sp. were compared in batch and mass cul-tures to assess bio-potential of Antarctic strains for cost-effective carotenoid production. Antarctic strains though exhibited slightly lower specific growth rates, but contained higher carotenoid con-tents (per unit dry wt.), than tropical strains. Modification of nor-mal composition of BG-11 culture medium, by altering nitrogen and carbon sources resulted in 25-38% increase in carotenoid content in both types of strains. Mass-culture in indoor and semi-outdoor bio-reactors resulted in 39-113% higher carotenoid con-tent in Antarctic strains, compared to their respective tropical strains. The observations suggest that Antarctic cyanobacteria may have potential as superior strains for maximizing the yield of carotenoids.