OPTIMIZATION OF CULTURE CONDITIONS OF AN ARGENTINE STRAIN OF DUNALIELLA SALINA (CHLOROPHYTA), FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF β-CAROTENE

Dunaliella salina is a green microalga, which synthesizes and stores large amounts of -carotene under certain environmental conditions.
For this reason it is grown massively for commercial purposes in several countries.
The aim of this study was to find the optimal conditions for growth in laboratory of an Argentine strain of D. salina, for the synthesis of -carotene.
The samples were isolated and grown in two culture media: modified Johnson and ASP-H. Four concentrations of ClNa (0M, 1.5M, 3M and 4.5M) were used with a pH of 7–7.5, at 30–36°C and continuous light, under a photon flux of 290 μE m^-2 s^-1. Cell density was obtained by successive counts in a Newbahuer chamber.
Growth rate (K) and doubling-time (Td) during the exponential phase were determined in each case.
The cultures of the low concentrations presented an increase in cell density with a greater differentiation of phases than the cultures of high concentrations. D. salina tolerated wide concentration ranges of ClNa under laboratory conditions, synthesizing -carotene in concentrations of 4.5M and 3M, one month and three months after the culture was started, respectively.

II WOCMAP Congress Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Part 3: Agricultural Production, Post Harvest Techniques, Biotechnology

A.B. Miravalles, P.I. Leonardi

alga, carotenogenesis, Chlorophyceae, growth, microalga

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.502.23