Determination of the time transferring cells for astaxanthin production considering two-stage process of Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation.

The two-stage culture system consisting of green vegetative growth and reddish inductive production stages has been widely accepted for the production of astaxanthin using Haematococcus pluvialis. However, little has been known about the appropriate cellular phase of H. pluvialis for transferring into the astaxanthin inductive conditions. In this study, we determined the optimal growth phase of H. pluvialis for transferring into the second production stage. Astaxanthin productivities were correlated with growth phases, as senescent green phases could increase more than 10-fold greater than juvenile green phases. Our results clearly demonstrated the appropriateness of the senescent vegetable cells for transferring into the production stage, due to the increased capacity to accumulate astaxanthin.