Strains of phaffia rhodozyma containing high levels of astaxanthin and low levels of 3-hydroxy-3', 4'-didehydro- beta , psi -caroten-4-one (HDCO)

• Main Authors: KROUWER; ANDREAS JACOBUS JOHANNA, DE BOER; LEX, VAN HELL; BART
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.03.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FODDER; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PROCESSES USING MICROORGANISMS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention provides Phaffia rhodozyma strains having increased levels of astaxantin and a low percentage of 3-hydroxy-3',4'-didehydro- beta , psi -caroten-4-one (HDCO). Such strains are obtained by a combination of mutagenesis and selection. The invention further provides a method for obtaining such strains. The invention also provides astaxanthin obtained from a mutagenized strain of Phaffia rhodozyma characterized in that it contains a decreased relative amount of HDCO.