Carotenoids from heterotrophic bacteria isolated from Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica

• Published in: Biotechnology Reports
• Main Authors: Vila, Eugenis, Hornero-Méndez, Dámaso, Azziz, Gastón, Lareo, Claudia, Saravia, Verónica
• Other Authors: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier 2019
• Subjects: Bioprospection; HPLC-PDA-APCI-MS; Carotenoids; Antarctica; Bacteria; Fildes; Fildes peninsula; King George Island; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/182282; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2019.e00306; https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003339

Carotenoids are isoprenoid pigments used by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and feed industry as antioxidants and colorants. Although traditional sources of carotenoids are fruits, vegetables and chemical synthesis, prospecting for alternative sinks of common and/or unusual carotenoids is important for the development of natural carotenoid industry. In this work, 30 pigmented bacterial strains from Fildes Peninsula in King George Island, Antarctica, were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and classified in three phyla, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. After cells extraction, ten different carotenoids were identified based on the chromatographic and spectroscopic characteristic obtained by HPLC-PDA and HPLC-PDA-APCI-MS analyses. Strains assigned to Bacteroidetes affiliated to Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium and Zobellia genera, presented a pigment profile composed of zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. Firmicutes strains of Planococcus genus produced a C50 carotenoid, identified as C.p. 450 glucoside. Actinobacteria isolates were mainly assigned to Arthrobacter genus, and few to Salinibacterium and Cryobacterium genera. Arthrobacter strains produced C50 carotenoids such as decaprenoxanthin and its glucosylated derivatives, as well as some C40 carotenoids such as lycopene which is used as synthesis precursors of the C50 carotenoids. Salinibacterium and Cryobacterium genera produced C.p. 450 free form and its glucosylated derivatives. Although most isolates produce carotenoids similar in diversity and quantity than those already reported in the literature, novel sources for C50 carotenoids results from this work. According to their carotenoid content, all isolates could be promising candidates for carotenoids production. This work was supported by “Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica” [project CSIC I+D 2014 219], and “Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación” [grant POS_NAC_2014_1102321] and [grant MOV_CA__2017_1_138162]. Peer Reviewed