A multi-functional MgF_(2)/polydopamine/hyaluronan-astaxanthin coating on the biodegradable ZE21B alloy with better corrosion resistance and biocompatibility for cardiovascular application

The cardiovascular diseases(CVD)continue to be the major threat to global public health over the years,while one of the effective methods to treat CVD is stent intervention.Biomedical magnesium(Mg)alloys have great potential applications in cardiovascular stents benefit from their excellent biodegradability and absorbability.However,excessive degradation rate and the delayed surface endothelialization still limit their further application.In this study,we modified a Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy(ZE21B)by preparing MgF_(2) as the corrosion resistance layer,the dopamine polymer film(PDA)as the bonding layer,and hyaluronic acid(HA)loaded astaxanthin(ASTA)as an important layer to directing the cardiovascular cells fate.The electrochemical test results showed that the MgF_(2)/PDA/HA-ASTA coating improved the corrosion resistance of ZE21B.The cytocompatibility experiments also demonstrated that this novel composite coating also selectively promoted endothelial cells proliferation,inhibited hyperproliferation of smooth muscle cells and adhesion of macrophages.Compared with the HAloaded rapamycin(RAPA)coating,our MgF_(2)/PDA/HA-ASTA coating showed better blood compatibility and cytocompatibility,indicating stronger multi-functions for the ZE21B alloy on cardiovascular application.

Protective effects of CY-09 and astaxanthin on NaIO_(3)-induced photoreceptor inflammation via the NLRP3/autophagy pathway

AIM:To study the effect of the NLRP3/autophagy pathway on the photoreceptor inflammatory response and the protective mechanism of CY-09 and astaxanthin(AST).METHODS:ICR mice were intraperitoneally injected NaIO_(3),CY-09,AST successively and divided into 5 groups,including the control,NaIO_(3),NaIO_(3)+CY-09,NaIO_(3)+AST,and NaIO_(3)+CY-09+AST groups.Spectral domain optical coherence tomography and flash electroretinogram were examined and the retina tissues were harvested for immunohistochemistry,enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and Western blotting.Retinal pigment epithelium cell line(ARPE-19 cells)and mouse photoreceptor cells line(661W cells)were also treated with NaIO_(3),CY-09,and AST successively.Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.Changes in autophagosome morphology were observed by transmission electron microscopy.Quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)was used to detect NLRP3 and caspase-1.NLRP3,caspase-1,cleaved caspase-1,p62,Beclin-1,and LC3 protein levels were measured by Western blotting.IL-1βand IL-18 were measured by ELISA.RESULTS:Compared with the control group,the activity of NaIO_(3)-treated 661W cells decreased within 24 and 48h,apoptosis increased,NLRP3,caspase-1,IL-1βand IL-18 levels increased,and autophagy-related protein levels increased(P<0.05).Compared with NaIO_(3) group,CY-09 and AST inhibited apoptosis(P<0.05),reduced NLRP3,caspase-1,IL-1βand IL-18 expression(P<0.05),and inhibited autophagy.Compared with the other groups,CY-09 combined with AST significantly decreased NLRP3 expression and inhibited the expression of the autophagy-related proteins p62,Beclin-1,and LC3 in vitro and in vivo(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:CY-09 and AST inhibit NaIO_(3)-induced inflammatory damage through the NLRP3/autophagy pathway in vitro and in vivo.CY-09 and AST may protect retina from inflammatory injury.

Metabolomics of astaxanthin hyperaccumulation in Haematococcus pluvialis under high light stress

Variation in metabolite profiles of Haematococcus pluvialis(a type of unicellular green algal)under light stress is a key issue of study at the present.To investigate the effect of light intensity on accumulation of astaxanthin in H.pluvialis,a 26-day batch culture experiment of H.pluvialis under the light intensity levels at 73,127,182,236,and 291μmol/(m^(2)·s)was conducted.Therefore,the optimal light intensity and the corresponding metabolic pathways of accumulation in H.pluvialis were determined.Results show that 236μmol/(m^(2)·s)was the optimum light intensity to induce astaxanthin accumulation,at which a maximum content of 9.01 mg/L was achieved on Day 24.A total of 132 metabolites were identified and quantified,of which 38 differential metabolites were highlighted and classified,including 3 fatty acids or intermediates,5 amino acids or derivatives,5 carbohydrates or intermediates,16nucleoside derivatives,and 9 other metabolites using LC-MS/MS technique.Subsequently,16 statistically significant differential metabolic pathways were enriched and annotated based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis between the control and the 236μmol/(m^(2)·s)treatment group(P<0.05).In addition,the bioprocesses included cellular basal metabolism and signaling systems,such as carbohydrate metabolism,amino acid metabolism,glycerol and derivatives metabolism,nucleotide and derivative metabolism,and inositol phosphate metabolism were activated and regulated under strong light stress conditions.Moreover,4 hub metabolites containing D-glucose-6-phosphate,L-tyrosine,glycerol-3-phosphate,and L-glutamine were identified,based on which the associated metabolic network was constructed.The study provided a metabolomic view of astaxanthin accumulation in H.pluvialis under strong light stress.

Combined conventional/antioxidant“Astaxanthin”treatment for male infertility:a double blind,randomized trial

Aim： To evaluate the treatment of male infertility with a strong natural antioxidant, in addition to conventional treatment. Methods： Using a double blind, randomized trial design, 30 men with infertility of ≥12 months and female partners with no demonstrable cause of infertility received conventional treatment according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization （WHO）, and either a strong antioxidant Astaxanthin 16 rag/day （AstaCarox, AstaReal AB, Gustavsberg, Sweden） or placebo for 3 months. The effects of treatment on semen parameters, reactive oxygen species （ROS）, zona-free hamster oocyte test, serum hormones including testosterone, luteinizing hormone （LH）, follicle stimulating hormone （FSH） and Inhibin B, and spontaneous or intrauterine insemination （IUI）-induced pregnancies were evaluated. Results： ROS and Inhibin B decreased significantly and sperm linear velocity increased in the Astaxanthin group （n = 11）, but not in the placebo group （n = 19）. The results of the zona-free hamster oocyte test tended to improve in the Astaxanthin group in contrast with the placebo group, though not reaching statistical significance. The total and per cycle pregnancy rates among the placebo cases （10.5 % and 3.6 %） were lower compared with 54.5 % and 23. 1% respectively in the Astaxanthin group （P=0.028; P=0.036）. Conclusion： Although the present study suggests a positive effect of Astaxanthin on sperm parameters and fertility, the results need to be confirmed in a larger trial before recommending Astaxanthin for the complementary treatment of infertile men. （Asian J Androl 2005 Sep; 7： 257-262）

A new approach to promote astaxanthin accumulation via Na_2WO_4 in Haematococcus pluvialis

The optimum concentration of Na_2 WO_4 was explored in relation to the cell density and astaxanthin content in Haematococcus pluvialis. Then, the cellular morphology, nitrate reductase(NR) activity, soluble sugar and protein contents, and chlorophyll ?uorescence were measured, and the transcriptional expression of carotenogenic genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that 3.0 mmol/L of Na_2 WO_4 was the optimum concentration to induce astaxanthin accumulation, with a maximum content of 49.41±0.13 pg/cell reached on the tenth day. The NR activity decreased signi?cantly and continually after Na_2 WO_4 treatment. The soluble sugar content increased gradually during the experimental period and was eventually signi?cantly higher than that in the control. The soluble protein content increased rapidly,reached a maximum in day 0.5 and day 1 and then decreased. The ef fective photochemical effciency of PSII( F v'/F m') and light saturation( E k) ?rst decreased and then tended to stabilize, and NADP +-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH) gene expression was correlated with photosynthesis. The transcriptional expression of ipi, psy and bkt was signi?cantly increased compared with that in the control after application of Na_2 WO_4, and the relative expression of ipi reached the highest level on the ?fth day, with a 98.03±1.92-fold increase. Our results describe a new approach to promote the ef fective accumulation of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis by NR inhibitor Na_2 WO_4.

Optimization of the Extraction Process of Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis with Oil Dissolution Method

[ Objective ] This study aimed to optimize the extraction process of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis with oil dissolution method. [ Method ] Small amounts of acetone or ethanol were separately added into soybean oil for astaxanthin extraction. The extraction efficiency of astaxanthin from H. pluvialis with different methods was compared. [ Result] The extraction efficiency of astaxanthin from H. pluvialis with acetone, acetone ＋ soybean oil, ethanol ＋ soybean oil, soybean oil was 20.46, 21.65, 20.85 mg/g and 13.05 mg/g, respectively. According to the results, acetone ＋ soybean oil led to the highest extraction rate, which was approximately twice that of soybean oil and higher than that of acetone. [ Conclusion ] This study laid the foundation for large-scale production of astaxanthin.

Assessment and Comparison of in vitro Immunoregulatory Activity of Three Astaxanthin Stereoisomers

In recent years,the immune-modulatory role of all-trans astaxanthin from different pigment sources has been studied.It was reported that all-trans astaxanthin might exist as three stereoisomers,and the composition of all-trans stereoisomers in natural materials differs from that of synthetic products.However,the different biological effects of various all-trans stereoisomers still remain unclear.In the present study,we evaluated the bioactivity of three astaxanthin stereoisomers,(3S,3'S)-trans-,(3R,3'R)-transand meso-trans-astaxanthin,in regulating cell-mediated immune response using mice lymphocytes and peritoneal exudates cells(PECs) systems.After the treatment with three astaxanthin stereoisomers(20 μmol L-1),the lymphocyte proliferation capacity,neutral red phagocytosis of PECs and natural killer(NK) cell cytotoxic activity were comparatively assessed.The results showed that all three astaxanthin stereoisomers significantly promoted lymphocyte proliferation,phagocytic capacity of PECs,and cytotoxic activity of NK cells.Moreover,the(3S,3'S)-trans-astaxanthin exhibited a much higher response than others.

Anti-inflammatory effects of astaxanthin against fungal keratitis

AIM:To characterize effect of astaxanthin(ASX)in Aspergillus fumigatus(A.fumigatus)induced keratitis in mouse model.METHODS:In vivo,fungal keratitis mouse model was established in C57BL/6 mice using A.fumigatus,followed by ASX or dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)treatment.Clinical responses were evaluated by clinical score and myeloperoxidase(MPO)assay.Inflammatory cytokines were assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),Western blot,immunofluorescence,and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay(ELISA).RESULTS:In animal model,ASX improved corneal transparency and clinical response,suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokine like IL-1β,TNF-α,and HMGB-1.Neutrophil levels have been shown to decrease in ASX-treated cornea by immunofluorescence and MPO.TLR2 and TLR4 levels were lower in ASX-treated group than DMSO-treated.CONCLUSION:ASX can suppress inflammatory response and reduce inflammatory cytokine production in mice model with A.fumigatus keratitis.

Accurate quantification of astaxanthin from Haematococcus crude extract spectrophotometrically

The influence of alkali on astaxanthin and the optimal working wave length for measurement of astaxanthin from Haematococcus crude extract were investigated, and a spectrophotometric method for precise quantification of the astaxanthin based on the method of Boussiba et al. was established. According to Boussiba's method, alkali treatment destroys chlorophyll. However, we found that: 1) carotenoid content declined for about 25% in Haematococcus fresh cysts and up to 30% in dry powder of Haematococcus broken cysts after alkali treatment; and 2) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-extracted chlorophyll of green Haematococcus bares little absorption at 520-550 nm. Interestingly, a good linear relationship existed between absorbance at 530 nm and astaxanthin content, while an unknown interference at 540-550 nm was detected in our study. Therefore, with 530 nm as working wavelength, the alkali treatment to destroy chlorophyll was not necessary and the influence of chlorophyll, other carotenoids, and the unknown interference could be avoided. The astaxanthin contents of two samples were measured at 492 nm and 530 nm; the measured values at 530 nm were 2.617 g/100 g and 1.811 g/100 g. When compared with the measured values at 492 nm, the measured values at 530 nm decreased by 6.93% and 11.96%, respectively. The measured values at 530 nm are closer to the true astaxanthin contents in the samples. The data show that 530 nm is the most suitable wave length for spectrophotometric determination to the astaxanthin in Haematococcus crude extract.

Studies on optimization of nitrogen sources for astaxanthin production by Phaffia rhodozyma

Fermentation of Phaffia rhodozyma is a major method for producing astaxanthin, an important pigment with industrial and pharmaceutical application. To improve astaxanthin productivity, single factor and mixture design experiments were used to investigate the effects of nitrogen source on Phaffia rhodozyma cultivation and astaxanthin production. Results of single factor experiments showed nitrogen source could significantly affect P. rhodozyma cultivation with respect to carbon source utilization, yeast growth and astaxanthin accumulation. Further studies of mixture design experiments using (NH4)2SO4, KNO3 and beef extract as nitrogen sources indicated that the proportion of three nitrogen sources was very important to astaxanthin production. Validation experiments showed that the optimal nitrogen source was composed of 0.28 g/L (NH4)2SO4, 0.49 g/L KNO3 and 1.19 g/L beef extract. The kinetic characteristics of batch cultivation were investigated in a 5-L pH-stat fermentor. The maximum amount of biomass and highest astaxanthin yield in terms of volume and in terms of biomass were 7.71 mg/L and 1.00 mg/g, respectively.

Optimization of acidic extraction of astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma

Optimization of a process for extracting astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma by acidic method was investigated,regarding several extraction factors such as acids,organic solvents,temperature and time. Fractional factorial design,central composite design and response surface methodology were used to derive a statistically optimal model,which corresponded to the following optimal condition: concentration of lactic acid at 5.55 mol/L,ratio of ethanol to yeast dry weight at 20.25 ml/g,tem-perature for cell-disruption at 30 °C,and extraction time for 3 min. Under this condition,astaxanthin and the total carotenoids could be extracted in amounts of 1294.7 μg/g and 1516.0 μg/g,respectively. This acidic method has advantages such as high extraction efficiency,low chemical toxicity and no special requirement of instruments. Therefore,it might be a more feasible and practical method for industrial practice.

Extraction of Astaxanthin from Euphausia pacific Using Subcritical 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane

Euphausia pacific is an important source of natural astaxanthin.Studies were carried out to assess the extractability of astaxanthin from E.pacific using subcritical 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane(R134a).To examine the effects of multiple process variables on the extraction yield,astaxanthin was extracted under various conditions of pressure(30-150 bar),temperature(303-343 K),time(10-50 min),flow rate(2-10 g min-1),moisture content(5.5%-63.61%),and particle size(0.25-0.109 mm).The results showed that the extraction yield increased with temperature,pressure,time and flow rate,but decreased with moisture content and particle size.A maximum yield of 87.74% was obtained under conditions of 100 bar,333 K,and 30 min with a flow rate of 6 g min-1 and a moisture content of 5.5%.The substantial astaxanthin yield obtained under low-pressure conditions demonstrates that subcritical R134a is a good alternative to CO 2 for extraction of astaxanthin from E.pacific.

Efficient Extraction of Astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma with Polar and Non-polar Solvents after Acid Washing

在酸的洗以后与各种各样的溶剂从 Phaffia rhodozyma 提取 astaxanthin 的方法被调查。抽取效率清楚地在 P 的酸的洗以后被增加。rhodozyma 房间。当 HCl 的集中是 0.4 摩尔时 ?

Natural astaxanthin enhanced antioxidant capacity and improved semen quality through the MAPK/Nrf2 pathway in aging layer breeder roosters

Background:Natural astaxanthin(ASTA)has strong antioxidant properties and has been widely used as a health product to improve human health.However,the effects of ASTA on the reproductive performance of aging roosters have been poorly studied.We aimed to investigate the effects of dietary ASTA on semen quality and antioxidant capacity in aging roosters and to explore the potential mechanism of semen quality change via antioxidation defense system.Methods:In the present study,9653-week-old Jinghong No.1 layer breeder roosters were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing 0,25,50,or 100 mg/kg ASTA for 6 weeks.Results:Semen quality in the ASTA groups remarkably improved than that in the control group,and antioxidant activities,the abilities to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions,increased gradually with ASTA addition(P<0.05).In addition,the mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes as well as the mRNA and protein levels of the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)were markedly increased in the 50-100 mg/kg ASTA group(P<0.05).Conclusions:Collectively,these results demonstrate that dietary ASTA may improve semen quality by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and the ability to scavenge hydroxyl radicals,which may be related to upregulation of the MAPK/Nrf2 pathway.

Application of derivative ratio spectrophotometry for determination of β-carotene and astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma extract

A derivative ratio spectrophotometric method was used for the simultaneous determination of β-carotene and astaxanthin produced from Phaffia rhodozyma. Absorbencies of a series of the standard carotenoids in the range of 441 nm to 490 nm demonstrated that their absorptive spectra accorded with Beer’s law and that the additivity when the concentrations of β-carotene and astaxanthin and their mixture were within the range of 0 to 5 μg/ml, 0 to 6 μg/ml, and 0 to 6 μg/ml, respectively. When the wavelength interval (?λ) at 2 nm was selected to calculate the first derivative ratio spectra values, the first derivative amplitudes at 461 nm and 466 nm were suitable for quantitatively determining β-carotene and astaxanthin, respectively. Effect of divisor on derivative ratio spectra could be neglected; any concentration used as divisor in range of 1.0 to 4.0 μg/ml is ideal for calculating the derivative ratio spectra values of the two carotenoids. Calibration graphs were established for β-carotene within 0?6.0 μg/ml and for astaxanthin within 0?5.0 μg/ml with their corresponding regressive equations in: y=?0.0082x?0.0002 and y=0.0146x?0.0006, respectively. R-square values in excess of 0.999 indicated the good linearity of the calibration graphs. Sample recovery rates were found satisfactory (>99%) with relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 5%. This method was suc- cessfully applied to simultaneous determination of β-carotene and astaxanthin in the laboratory-prepared mixtures and the extract from the Phaffia rhodozyma culture.

Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential of natural bioactive pigment:astaxanthin

Astaxanthin(3,3′-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4′-dione)is an orange-red,lipophilic keto-carotenoid pigment.It is majorly found in marine ecosystems particularly in aquatic animals such as salmon,shrimp,trout,krill,crayfish,and so on.It is also synthesized in microalgae Heamatococcus pluvialis,Chlorococcum,Chlorella zofingiensis,red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma and bacterium Paracoccus carotinifaciens.Some aquatic and terrestrial creatures regarded as a primary and secondary sources of the astaxanthin producing and accumulating it through their metabolic pathways.Astax-anthin is the powerful antioxidant,nutritional supplement as well as promising therapeutic compound,observed to have activities against different ravaging diseases and disorders.Researchers have reported remarkable bioactivities of astaxanthin against major non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases,cancer,diabetes,neurodegenerative,and immune disorders.The current review discusses some structural aspects of astaxanthin.It fur-ther elaborates its multiple potencies such as antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-proliferative,anti-cancer,anti-obese,anti-diabetic,anti-ageing,anti-TB,anti-viral,anti-COVID 19,neuro-protective,nephro-protective,and fertility-enhanc-ing properties.These potencies make it a more precious entity in the preventions as well as treatments of prevalent systematic diseases and/or disorders.Also,the review is acknowledging and documenting its powerful bioactivities in relation with the pharmaceutical as well as nutraceutical applicability.

Assessment of Expression Cassettes and Culture Media for Different Escherichia coli Strains to Produce Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a value-added ketocarotenoid with great potential in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.Genetic engineering of heterologous hosts for astaxanthin production has attracted great attention.In this study,we assessed some key factors,including codon usage of the expressed genes,types of promoters,bacterial strains,and culture media,for engineered Escherichia coli to produce astaxanthin.The effect of codon usage was shown to be related to the types of promoters.E.coli DH5a was superior to other strains for astaxanthin production.Different culture media greatly affected the contents and yields of astaxanthin in engineered E.coli.When the expression cassette containing GadE promoter and its driving genes,HpCHY and CrBKT,was inserted into the plasmid pACCAR16DcrtX and expressed in E.coli DH5a,the engineered strain was able to produce 4.30±0.28 mg/g dry cell weight(DCW)or 24.16±2.03 mg/L of astaxanthin,which was a sevenfold or 40-fold increase over the initial production of 0.62±0.03 mg/g DCW or 0.61±0.05 mg/L.

Effects of astaxanthin on antioxidant parameters in ARPE-19 cells on oxidative stress model

AIM: To observe the protective effect of astaxanthin(AST) against hydroquinone(HQ) mediated cell death in the apoptotic cascade and evaluate intracellular Ca2+ release, caspase-3, and-9 activation, reactive oxygen species(ROS) production in ARPE-19 cells.METHODS: We cultured ARPE-19 cells in special mediums and performed MTT tests to determine protective effect of AST, before exposing the cells to HQ in an incubator. We analyzed intracellular Ca2+ release experiments, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, glutathione(GSH), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) and ROS experiments, and apoptosis assay.RESULTS: ROS production ranges depend on the amount of cell death. We computed the correlation between ROS ranges and cell death by 20,70-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence, and Ca2+ levels by Fura-2-AM. HQ-induced cell death found out to rise ranges of caspase-3 and-9, and mitochondrial depolarization. These three steps were delayed by AST management.CONCLUSION: ARPE-19 cells are avoided from HQinduced ROS production and caspase-3 and-9 activation by AST. AST may limit the range of caspase synthesis, Ca2+ release and excess production of ROS with antiapoptotic effect. This study proposes a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Effects of dietary supplementation with algal astaxanthin on growth,pigmentation,and antioxidant capacity of the blood parrot (Cichlasoma citrinellum × Cichlasoma synspilum )

An algal astaxanthin feeding trial was carried out to investigate the ef fects of natural astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis as feed additives on growth, pigmenting efficacy and antioxidant capacity in blood parrot(C ichlasoma citrinellum × C ichlasoma. synspilum). Tissue total antioxidant capacity(TAC), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT) and maleic dialdehyde(MDA) were chosen as measures of its antioxidant capacity. All fish which received an astaxanthin(from micro-algal H. pluvialis) supplemented diet with 400 mg/kg of astaxanthin, after 50 days of feeding, the astaxanthin-fed fish displayed a pinkcolored skin and the control-fed fish displayed a grayish skin. For the growth, the weight gains of controlfed fish and astaxanthin-fed fish were 200% and 300%, respectively. Samples of skin and scales were used for analysis of total carotenoids and astaxanthin content, and fish feeding astaxanthin showed significantly( P <0.05) higher concentrations than the control group, indicating that the pigmentation of this fish had been significantly improved by dietary astaxanthin. Compared with the control fish, pigmented fish had lower SOD, CAT and MDA and higher TAC. It can be concluded that supplementation with dietary astaxanthin could eff ectively enhance growth, skin coloration and the antioxidant capacity of this fish. This study will provide a reference for application of natural astaxanthin from H. pluvialis as feed additives in blood parrot artificial breeding. Our data is also useful in ornamental fish farming, especially when the retentivity of astaxanthin in the skin and scales are involved. It is leading to the possibility of increasing the pigmentation of farmed-fish by adding the powdered form of H. pluvialis to the diet as an ef fective pigment.

DYNAMIC CHANGES OF INORGANIC NITROGEN AND ASTAXANTHIN ACCUMULATION IN HAEMATOCOCCUS PLUVIALIS

This study on dynamic changes of culture color, astaxanthin and chlorophylls, inorganic N including N NO - 3, N NO - 2 and N NH + 4 in batch culture of Haematococcus pluvialis exposed to different additive nitrate concentration showed (1) ast/chl ratio was over 0.8 for brown and red algae, but was usually less than 0.5 for green and yellow algae; (2) N NO - 3, in general, was unstable and decreased, except for a small unexpected increase in nitrate enriched treatment groups; (3) measurable amounts of N NO - 2 and N NH + 4 were observed respectively with three change modes although no external nitrite and ammonia were added into the culture; (4) a non linear correlation between ast/chl ratio (or color) changes and the levels of N NO - 3 , N NO - 2 , N NH + 4 in H. pluvialis culture; (5) up and down variation of the ast/chl ratio occurred simultaneously with a perceptible color change from yellow to brown (or red) when N NO - 3, N NO - 2 and N NH + 4 fluctuated around 30, 5, 5 μmol/L respectively; (6) existence of three dynamic modes of N NO - 3, N NO - 2 and N NH + 4 changes, obviously associated with initial external nitrate; (7) the key level of total inorganic N concentration regulating the above physiological changes during indoor cultivation was about 50 μmol/L; and (8) 0.5-10 mmol/L of nitrate was theoretically conducive to cell growth in batch culture.