Influence of culture conditions of Gordonia jacobaea MV-26 on canthaxanthin production.

Commercial interest in the use of natural pigments isolated from microorganisms has increased in recent years; hence, molecules belonging to the polyisoprenoid group (i.e. beta-carotene, astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin) have been the focus of much attention. The bacterium Gordonia jacobaea readily synthesizes and accumulates large amounts of canthaxanthin (beta-beta'-carotene-4,4'-dione), which is widely used in the food and cosmetics industries. In the present work, the effects of different low-cost raw materials on fermentation and canthaxanthin accumulation by a hyperpigmented strain of G. jacobaea were studied. Canthaxanthin production and peak levels of accumulation varied according to the different media used.