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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出，通过对生物体的分子遗传操作，提高来自绿色藻类雨生红球藻的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，在营养保健品、制药、水产养殖和家禽业中具有巨大的应用潜力。雨生红球藻（Haematococcus pluvialis）这种绿色球藻是已知最丰富的虾青素天然来源。然而，红球藻生产系统中的一个主要限制是富含虾青素的细胞（胞囊）具有厚的细胞壁，这阻碍了人和培养动物的虾青素提取和随后的生物利用度。化学和物理细胞破碎方法占生产的主要成本，但引入了氧化虾青素的风险。在这个第一阶段项目中，红球藻的某些特征将被遗传改变，以促进快速有效地提取和消化细胞结合的虾青素。该项目的直接商业应用将在营养品和水产养殖市场。

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.