Indigenous microalga Parachlorella sp. JD-076 as a potential source for lutein production: Optimization of lutein productivity via regulation of light intensity and carbon source

Lutein has attracted attention because of its beneficial roles, including alleviating cardiovascular diseases. We compared lutein production of diverse indigenous algal candidates, and selected Parachlorella sp. JD-076 as a lutein producer. The strain was cultivated under different types of photo-bioreactors (PBRs). Maximal growth was obtained from the tubular type with 2.7-fold higher dry cell weight (DCW) than in the cylindrical type. To optimize lutein production, Parachlorella sp. was exposed to various levels of illumination (100-1000 μmol m−2 s−1) and combinations of glucose and CO2 in the tubular-type PBR. High-light intensity efficiently increased DCW and lutein productivity in an intensity-dependent manner, and 5% CO2 resulted in the maximum biomass and lutein productivity compared to that of other conditions, with 2.1 g L−1 day−1 and 25 mg L−1 day−1, respectively. We speculated that the strain Parachlorella sp. JD-076 will provide a cost-effective lutein bioprocess via regulation of illumination and CO2 supply.