SBIR Phase I: Improving The Bioavailability of the Natural Antioxidant Astaxanthin from Haematococcus Pluvialis

本小型企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目拟通过对绿藻雨红球菌（Haematococcus pluvialis）进行分子遗传操作，提高虾青素的生物利用度。天然虾青素是一种有效的生物活性抗氧化剂，在营养保健、制药、水产养殖和家禽业中具有巨大的应用潜力。绿藻，雨红球藻，是已知的虾青素最丰富的天然来源。然而，红球菌生产系统的一个主要限制是富含虾青素的细胞（囊）具有厚的细胞壁，这阻碍了虾青素的提取和随后对人类和培养动物的生物利用度。化学和物理细胞破坏过程是生产的主要成本，但也会带来虾青素氧化的风险。在本一期项目中，将对红球菌的某些特性进行基因改造，以便快速高效地提取和消化细胞结合的虾青素。这个项目的直接商业应用将在营养保健和水产养殖市场。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to improve the bioavailability of astaxanthin from the green algae, Haematococcus pluvialis, through molecular genetic manipulation of the organism. Natural astaxanthin is a potent bioactive antioxidant and offers tremendous potential for use in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, aquaculture, and poultry industries. The green alga, Haematococcus pluvialis, is the richest known natural source of astaxanthin. One major constraint in the Haematococcus production system, however, is that astaxanthin-rich cells (cysts) possess thick cell walls that hinder astaxanthin extraction and subsequent bioavailability for humans and cultured animals. Chemical and physical cell disruption processes account for a major cost of the production, yet introduce the risk of oxidation of astaxanthin. In this Phase I project, certain features of Haematococcus will be genetically altered so as to facilitate fast and efficient extraction and digestion of cell-bound astaxanthin. The immediate commercial application of this project will be in the nutraceutical and aquaculture markets.