Optimization of growth conditions of the microalga Oocystis polymorpha in photo-bioreactors for the production of carotenoids targeted for use as antioxidants for nutraceutical pur

一些微藻特别令人感兴趣，因为它们能有效地产生抗氧化剂类胡萝卜素，包括虾青素，已被证明对人类和动物的健康和营养有益。本项目的目的是结合NucOcean公司在光生物反应器中生长的藻类的专业知识，为多形卵囊藻开发生长条件，以便最大限度地生产虾青素。该公司的最终目标是从微藻中生产虾青素，并将其用于营养食品领域。将进行逐步放大，最终在生物反应器中生产多达2个L的培养物。不同的条件将被优化，以实现最大的藻类产量和最大的类胡萝卜素积累。纽崔洋是一家位于里穆斯基的海洋养殖生产公司，专门从事微藻产品的开发和商业化。纽特海洋目前正在寻求渗透营养食品市场，更具体地说，在膳食补充剂和功能食品中使用omega 3和虾青素。虾青素补充剂已经向公众提供了相当多年的时间。然而，这种类胡萝卜素最具商业价值的形式是人工合成的。今天，需要找到生产天然虾青素的替代方法。由于纽崔洋的主要使命之一是占领营养食品虾青素市场，该公司对从微藻中生产类胡萝卜素的技术感兴趣。因此，波波维奇博士团队的技术诀窍直接符合公司通过以创新的方式应用现有知识来解决公司特定问题的需要。因此，这项技术转让的贡献将使一家加拿大公司在营养食品领域处于领先地位。这种旨在从微藻中获得具有高抗氧化特性的特定胡萝卜素的生物技术目前在加拿大还不存在。

Some microalgae are particularly interesting because of their efficiency to produce antioxidant carotenoids, including astaxanthin, which have been proved to benefit human and animal health and nutrition. The aim of this project is to develop growth conditions for the microalga Oocystis polymorpha in order to produce maximal astaxanthin, combining it with the expertise of algae growing in photo-bioreactors from NutrOcean Company and adapting to this species. The eventual aim of the company is to produce astaxanthin from microalgae, using it in the nutraceutical field. A stepwise scaling-up will be carried out to eventually produce up to 2 L of the culture in a bioreactor. Different conditions will be optimized in order to achieve the highest mass algal production with a maximal carotenoid accumulation. NutrOcean is a marine farming production company located in Rimouski, specialized in the development and commercialization of microalgal products. NutrOcean has currently looking to penetrate the nutraceutical market, more specifically using omega 3 and astaxanthin in dietary supplements and functional food. Astaxanthin supplements have been available to the public for quite a number of years. However, the most commercially available form of this carotenoid is from synthetic sources. Today, there is a need to find alternate ways of producing natural astaxanthin. Since one of the major missions of NutrOcean is to capture the nutraceutical astaxanthin market the company is interested for technologies producing carotenoids from microalgae. The know-how of Dr. Popovic's team therefore, directly fits the need of the company at solving the company-specific problem through the application of existing knowledge in an innovative manner. Therefore, this contribution on technology transfer will allow a Canadian company to be in a leading position in the nutraceutical field. Such biotechnology oriented to obtain from microalgae specific carotenoids with high antioxidant properties presently does not exist in Canada.