Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Toru Yoshimi, Sakiko Hashimoto, Yuki Kubo, Masato Takeuchi, Daichi Morimoto, Satoshi Nakagawa, Shigeki Sawayama
Summary: By overexpressing a crtZ candidate gene, astaxanthin production in A.limacinum was significantly increased, suggesting a potential pathway via cantaxanthin for astaxanthin biosynthesis. Additionally, longer light exposure was found to enhance astaxanthin production while reducing beta-carotene content in the wild-type strain, highlighting the importance of light exposure duration for astaxanthin production in A.limacinum. Further investigations are needed to fully understand the astaxanthin biosynthetic process in A.limacinum.
APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Malihe Gorgich, Antonio A. Martins, Teresa M. Mata, Nidia S. Caetano
Summary: Chlorella zofingiensis is a microalgae that has garnered attention for its viability in cultivation, ability to yield various products, and adaptability to different environmental and stress conditions, making it a promising source of valuable compounds for industrial applications.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Amelie Corato, Thanh Tung Le, Denis Baurain, Philippe Jacques, Claire Remacle, Fabrice Franck
Summary: A new strain from the genus Coelastrella was isolated in this study, which showed rapid growth in phototrophy and accumulated astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, and fatty acids under nitrogen depletion conditions, suggesting its potential application in biorefinery.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jeremy D. Landry, Peter J. Torley, Ewan W. Blanch
Summary: Raman spectroscopy can be used for non-destructive subsurface measurements, providing quantitative information on important quality parameters, such as pigment and fatty acid concentrations, which can aid in aquaculture production.
Article
Plant Sciences
Biljana Todorovic, Veno Jasa Grujic, Andreja Urbanek Krajnc, Roman Kranvogl, Jana Ambrozic-Dolinsek
Summary: The study aimed to determine the content of astaxanthin and its esterified forms in Haematococcus pluvialis samples, identified eleven astaxanthin monoesters, six astaxanthin diesters, and found that all three solvents (MTBE, HEX-IPA, ACE) were effective for extraction, with MTBE and hexane-isopropanol extracting the most astaxanthin.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Allison Leyton, Carolina Shene, Yusuf Chisti, Juan A. Asenjo
Summary: The carotenogenic thraustochytrid Thraustochytrium sp. RT2316-16 was grown in batch and repeated-batch cultures using different feeds containing glucose, glycerol, and yeast extract, for the production of lipids, phospholipids, and carotenoids. The composition of carotenoids depended strongly on the composition of the feed.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Anagha Nair, Ankesh Ahirwar, Shashikala Singh, Reeta Lodhi, Aishwarya Lodhi, Anshuman Rai, Dipak A. Jadhav, Harish, Sunita Varjani, Gurpreet Singh, Justine Marchand, Benoit Schoefs, Vandana Vinayak
Summary: Natural astaxanthin is richer than synthetic astaxanthin, but cultivating it in photobioreactors is expensive and downstream processing techniques for solubilization are not cost-effective. As a result, the cost of astaxanthin is high, leading pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies to opt for synthetic astaxanthin. This review discusses the chemical character of astaxanthin, more cost-effective cultivating techniques, and its bioavailability. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of this microalgal product against various diseases are discussed, which make it a promising drug for reducing inflammation and its consequences.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Luis Angel Cabanillas-Bojorquez, Erick Paul Gutierrez-Grijalva, Ramon Ignacio Castillo-Lopez, Laura Aracely Contreras-Angulo, Miguel Angel Angulo-Escalante, Leticia Xochitl Lopez-Martinez, Erika Yudit Rios-Iribe, Jose Basilio Heredia
Summary: Through lactic acid fermentation, chemical and nutritive constituents were characterized from liquor of shrimp waste. The study found that the liquor is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and carotenoids, with potential pharmaceutical applications due to its antioxidant properties.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mengmeng Liu, Yang Yang, Li Li, Yan Ma, Junchao Huang, Jingrun Ye
Summary: A new bacterium was discovered to accumulate large amounts of carotenoids using various agro-industrial byproducts, and specific carotenoids were produced through gene mutations and a high-efficiency synthesis platform was constructed. Additionally, high-titer astaxanthin was produced through balancing key enzymes, showcasing the potential of this industrially important bacterium for carotenoid production.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Cassamo U. Mussagy, Jorge F. B. Pereira, Valeria C. Santos-Ebinuma, Adalberto Pessoa, Vijaya Raghavan
Summary: This review focuses on the potential of unconventional extraction procedures combined with alternative green solvents for the recovery of microbial-based astaxanthin from microalgae and yeast cells. It emphasizes the advances, process bottlenecks, solvent selection, and strategies to improve the recovery of microbial astaxanthin.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jerome Schmeisser, Viviane Verlhac-Trichet, Angelico Madaro, Santosh P. Lall, Ole Torrissen, Rolf Erik Olsen
Summary: The transcriptomic analysis revealed that pyloric caeca in post-smolt Atlantic salmon is more sensitive to dietary astaxanthin supplementation compared to hepatic and muscular tissues. Key genes sensitive to astaxanthin supplementation were identified in pylorus, liver, and muscle. The modulation of genes in pylorus was related to absorption and metabolism of astaxanthin, while liver showed a potential link to the ferroptosis process. Dietary astaxanthin had a lesser impact on muscle except for genes related to actin remodelling and glucose homeostasis.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paula Sol Pok, Manuel Ignacio Stefanini, Natalia Soledad Calvo
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the composition of male and female Dilocarcinus pagei crabs and optimize the extraction of astaxanthin (AST) using edible oils. The chemical composition of males and females differed only in moisture content. The optimal conditions for extraction using soybean oil were a oil:crab ratio of 140 mL/g, temperature of 90 degrees Celsius, and extraction time of 170 minutes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thu Thi Minh Vo, Gianluca Amoroso, Tomer Ventura, Abigail Elizur
Summary: The increasing seawater temperatures in Tasmania during the summer period have led to thermal stress-induced starvation events in farmed Atlantic salmon, resulting in flesh pigment depletion. In this study, the effect of prolonged exposure to elevated water temperature on flesh pigmentation and muscle structural integrity was investigated using histological and transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that muscle degradation and atrophy were observed in fish with low flesh pigmentation, while genes related to metabolism and muscle integrity were differentially expressed in fish with high flesh pigmentation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza, Syeda Rida Zahra Naqvi, Sameh A. Abdelnour, Nicola Schreurs, Zuhair M. Mohammedsaleh, Imran Khan, Abdullah F. Shater, Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack, Asmaa F. Khafaga, Guobo Quan, Rajwali Khan, Sihu Wang, Gong Cheng, Linsen Zan
Summary: Astaxanthin is a high-quality keto-carotenoid pigment with various biological actions such as antihypertensive, antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-carcinogenic properties, as well as being a popular immunomodulator. Despite its wide use in medical sciences and aquatic species nutrition, its applications in broader animal nutrition are currently restricted.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Natalie L. Pino-Maureira, Rodrigo R. Gonzalez-Saldia, Alejandro Capdeville, Benjamin Srain
Summary: Using raw glycerol as a carbon source, marine Rhodotorula strains can produce DHA and carotenoids for human and animal nutrition. The study also introduces a new genetically described Rhodotorula strain, NCYC1146, which shows potential for canthaxanthin production when glycerol is used as the main carbon source. This research provides evidence that marine Rhodotorula can utilize an alternative and low-cost carbon source for the sustainable production of essential nutrients.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Venelin H. Petkov, Raina G. Ardasheva, Natalia A. Prissadova, Athanas D. Kristev, Plamen S. Stoyanov, Mariana D. Argirova
Summary: This study investigated the effects of aqueous extracts from three Bulgarian fern species on rat gastric smooth muscle tissues. The extracts from Asplenium ceterach and Asplenium scolopendrium caused contractions, while Asplenium trichomanes caused both contractions and relaxation. The extracts from Asplenium ceterach and Asplenium scolopendrium acted as agonists of 5-HT2 receptors, while the response induced by Asplenium trichomanes was associated with the nitric oxide signaling pathway.
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR NATURFORSCHUNG SECTION C-A JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Toncho Dinev, Milena Tzanova, Katya Velichkova, Diyana Dermendzhieva, Georgi Beev
Summary: This study demonstrated that extracts from A. calamus exhibit antimicrobial activity against multiple fungal strains, while extracts from S. dimorphus show the highest antioxidant potential, with high total phenolic and flavonoid content.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Toncho Dinev, Milena Tzanova, Nikolina Rusenova, Neli Grozeva, Mariya Gerdzhikova, Georgi Beev
Summary: Stevia rebaudiana is a plant species known for its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, especially in its flower extracts which demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. However, only flower and leaf extracts showed low antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, and there was no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. The rhizomes of this plant have the highest concentrations of rutin and total phenols, correlating with their radical scavenging potential, while the leaves, which are the most important part with medicinal significance, have good antibacterial activity and high antioxidant content.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iva Slavova, Teodora Tomova, Slavena Kusovska, Yoana Chukova, Mariana Argirova
Summary: This review summarizes the chemical composition and biological activity of extracts or individual compounds of Tamus communis L. rhizome. The plant exhibits anti-inflammatory, anticholinesterase, and xanthine oxidase inhibition activities.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Zvezdelina Yaneva, Georgi Beev, Nikolina Rusenova, Donika Ivanova, Milena Tzanova, Daniela Stoeva, Monika Toneva
Summary: Chitosan and lignin, as natural biopolymers, have good biocompatibility and biodegradability, making them potential biomaterials for various applications. This research focused on studying the antimicrobial potential of flavonoid-biopolymer complex systems, specifically the combinations of morin, chitosan, and lignin. The results showed that the combination of morin with chitosan or lignin demonstrated synergistic effects against Staphylococcus aureus, indicating their potential for use in novel drug-carrier formulations with improved bioactivities.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Elica Valkova, Vasil Atanasov, Milena Tzanova, Stefka Atanassova, Ivaylo Sirakov, Katya Velichkova, Margarita H. Marinova, Kristian Yakimov
Summary: The purpose of this review is to describe the contents of Pb and Zn in sediments and hydrobionts as ecological markers for the pollution assessment of freshwater objects in Bulgaria, and the data are compared with other countries and regions. The levels of Zn and Pb in sediments showed symmetry, while the accumulation of zinc and lead in fish exhibited asymmetry, particularly in the liver.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Milena Tzanova, Zvezdelina Yaneva, Elica Valkova, Donika Ivanova, Vasil Atanasov
Summary: This study investigated the accumulation levels of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin in the liver, female gonads, and male gonads of rainbow trout reared in water containing permitted levels of the fungicide mancozeb. The results showed that the accumulation was most intensive in the female gonads and lowest in the last group, which could be attributed to ongoing detoxification reactions and disposal of mancozeb.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lubomir Petrov, Albena Alexandrova, Mariana Argirova, Teodora Tomova, Almira Georgieva, Elina Tsvetanova, Milka Mileva
Summary: This study evaluated the chromatographic profile and antioxidant properties of Ginkgo biloba seeds extract (GBSE). The results showed that GBSE exhibited good antioxidant capacity and could neutralize free radicals, potentially benefiting pathological conditions with oxidative stress etiology.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Venelin Petkov, Iva Slavova, Desislava Teneva, Tzvetelina Mladenova, Plamen Stoyanov, Mariana Argirova
Summary: This study provides an in-depth chemical characterization of three ferns widely spread in Bulgaria, revealing their potential as a source of zinc and iron. The ferns also showed promising antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
NATURAL PRODUCTS JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ivaylo Sirakov, Katya Velichkova, Toncho Dinev, Desislava Slavcheva-Sirakova, Elica Valkova, Dimitar Yorgov, Petya Veleva, Vasil Atanasov, Stefka Atanassova
Summary: The aim of this study was to test the infection of aquaponically cultivated lettuce with different fungal pathogens using visible-near-infrared spectroscopy and vegetation indices. The study found that vegetation indices, particularly the water band index, were effective in distinguishing infected plants from healthy ones.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elica Valkova, Vasil Atanasov, Tatyana Vlaykova, Tanya Tacheva, Yanitsa Zhelyazkova, Dimo Dimov, Kristian Yakimov
Summary: The study established the relationship between Pb and Zn content in various mediums and found that lead levels in drinking water were often close to the limit value, while zinc levels were lower than the specified limit in certain cities. Zinc concentrations in fish muscle did not exceed the established norms.
BULGARIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elica Valkova, Vasil Atanasov, Tatyana Vlaykova, Tanya Tacheva, Yanitsa Zhelyazkova, Dimo Dimov, Kristian Yakimov
Summary: The study found no significant air pollution and drinking water pollution in the Stara Zagora area. The concentrations of Cu and Cd in the musculature of common carp and the blood serum of patients were generally below the specified limits.
BULGARIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Horticulture
Teodora Tomova, Iva Slavova, Desislav Tomov, Gergana Kirova, Mariana D. Argirova
Summary: Ginkgo biloba has been cultivated in Bulgaria since the late 19th century, with individual specimens found in almost every park. Research has shown that locally grown ginkgo seeds can be utilized as a source of beneficial compounds, with chemical composition similar to seeds from other geographical areas.