Using physical and chemical mutagens for enhanced carotenoid production from Rhodotorula glutinis (PTCC 5256)

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to manipulate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (physical mutagen) and sodium azide (chemical mutagen) on the pigment production from Rhodotorula glutinis, and to optimize the condition of pigment production. The irradiation time of 36.86 s, irradiation distance of 38.13 cm, incubation temperature of 24.54 °C, and incubation time of 90.0 h were found as the optimum conditions for production of pigment from R. glutinis treated with UV irradiation. For R. glutinis treated with SA, SA concentration of 94.95 µg/L, SA exposuring time of 13.23 min, incubation temperature of 25.91 °C, and incubation time of 87.87 h were found as the optimum conditions for production of pigment. At the above optimum conditions, the production of pigment from R. glutinis treated with UV irradiation (7.88 mg/L) was higher than the amount extracted from the mutant treated with SA (7.61 mg/L). However, BDW content of R. glutinis treated with SA (8.36 g/L) was higher than BDW content of R. glutinis treated with UV irradiation (7.73 g/L).