Carotenoid production by Metschnikowia sp.: isolation from environmental samples and optimization of culture conditions.

IF 2.5 4区生物学 Q3 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Biotechnology Letters Pub Date : 2026-07-29 DOI:10.1007/s10529-026-03767-9

M Mokhtari, M Mohammadi-Sichani, M Madani

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Abstract

Carotenoids are valuable natural pigments with antioxidant and health-promoting properties. Growing concerns regarding the toxicity and environmental persistence of synthetic colorants have increased interest in safe and sustainable natural alternatives. Compared with plant-derived carotenoids, microbial production offers several practical advantages, including rapid growth, year-round cultivation, utilization of agro-industrial substrates, and simplified downstream processing. This study aimed to isolate carotenoid-producing microorganisms from environmental samples, identify the most productive isolate, and optimize culture conditions for enhanced carotenoid biosynthesis, with particular emphasis on Metschnikowia sp. Five pigmented isolates were recovered, among which Metschnikowia sp. (100% identity, 90% query coverage; GenBank accession no. MZ622714) exhibited the highest carotenoid production (A450 = 4.2) and was selected for further investigation. Using the Taguchi experimental design, the highest biomass yield (10.67 ± 0.58 mg/mL) was obtained in a medium containing glucose and yeast extract at pH 6 and 20 °C, whereas maximum carotenoid production (6.48 µg/g) was achieved under Molasses and peptone (or the correct optimized medium), at pH 7 and 20 °C. Notably, carotenoid biosynthesis was enhanced under stress-associated conditions rather than those favoring maximal biomass formation. UV-Vis spectroscopy and HPLC analyses confirmed carotenoid production, with a dominant chromatographic peak (retention time ⁓21.4 min) consistent with an astaxanthin-like compound. These findings demonstrate the potential of Metschnikowia sp. as a promising non-conventional yeast for sustainable production of natural carotenoids and provide a foundation for future development of industrial microbial bioprocesses.

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Metschnikowia sp.产类胡萝卜素：从环境样品中分离及培养条件优化。

类胡萝卜素是宝贵的天然色素，具有抗氧化和促进健康的特性。对合成着色剂的毒性和环境持久性的日益关注增加了对安全和可持续的天然替代品的兴趣。与植物来源的类胡萝卜素相比，微生物生产具有几个实际优势，包括快速生长、全年栽培、利用农用工业基质和简化下游加工。本研究旨在从环境样品中分离产生类胡萝卜素的微生物，确定最高产的分离物，并优化培养条件，以增强类胡萝卜素的生物合成为重点，重点研究了Metschnikowia sp.(100%鉴定，90%查询覆盖率；MZ622714)类胡萝卜素产量最高（A450 = 4.2）。采用田口实验设计，在pH为6和20°C时，含有葡萄糖和酵母提取物的培养基获得了最高的生物质产量（10.67±0.58 mg/mL），而在pH为7和20°C时，糖蜜和蛋白胨（或正确的优化培养基）获得了最大的类胡萝卜素产量（6.48µg/g）。值得注意的是，类胡萝卜素的生物合成在与压力相关的条件下而不是在有利于最大生物量形成的条件下得到促进。紫外可见光谱和高效液相色谱分析证实了类胡萝卜素的产生，其主要色谱峰（保留时间⁓21.4 min）与虾青素样化合物一致。这些发现证明了Metschnikowia是一种有潜力的可持续生产天然类胡萝卜素的非传统酵母，并为未来工业微生物工艺的发展奠定了基础。

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来源期刊

Biotechnology Letters 工程技术-生物工程与应用微生物

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

3.70%

发文量

108

审稿时长

1.2 months

期刊介绍： Biotechnology Letters is the world’s leading rapid-publication primary journal dedicated to biotechnology as a whole – that is to topics relating to actual or potential applications of biological reactions affected by microbial, plant or animal cells and biocatalysts derived from them. All relevant aspects of molecular biology, genetics and cell biochemistry, of process and reactor design, of pre- and post-treatment steps, and of manufacturing or service operations are therefore included. Contributions from industrial and academic laboratories are equally welcome. We also welcome contributions covering biotechnological aspects of regenerative medicine and biomaterials and also cancer biotechnology. Criteria for the acceptance of papers relate to our aim of publishing useful and informative results that will be of value to other workers in related fields. The emphasis is very much on novelty and immediacy in order to justify rapid publication of authors’ results. It should be noted, however, that we do not normally publish papers (but this is not absolute) that deal with unidentified consortia of microorganisms (e.g. as in activated sludge) as these results may not be easily reproducible in other laboratories. Papers describing the isolation and identification of microorganisms are not regarded as appropriate but such information can be appended as supporting information to a paper. Papers dealing with simple process development are usually considered to lack sufficient novelty or interest to warrant publication.