title: Production of antioxidant vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, by two-step culture of Euglena gracilis Z.
abstract: Euglena gracilis Z is one of the few microorganisms which simultaneously produces antioxidant vitamins such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Photoheterotrophically cultured E. gracilis Z produced larger levels of biomass but with a lower content of antioxidant vitamins than photoautotrophically grown cultures. For efficient production of these vitamins, a two-step culture was performed. Cells were grown photoheterotrophically and then transferred to photoautotrophic conditions. When E. gracilis Z cells were grown in fed-batch culture under photoheterotrophic conditions, their density reached 19 g/L after 145 h. Subsequent transfer of these cells to photoautotrophic conditions increased vitamin content, enhancing the total vitamin yields, which were 71.0 mg/L of beta-carotene, 30.1 mg/L of vitamin E, and 86.5 mg/L of vitamin C. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeyama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kakuta
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga