Microalgae pigments from

Pigments from Microalgae and Microorganisms Sources of Food Colorants 401... 

Arad (Mails), S. and Yaron, A., Natural pigments from red microalgae for use in foods and cosmetics. Trends Food Sci. Technol., 3, 92, 1992. 

Astaxanthin is a high-value carotenoid produced from microalgae that is produced commercially. Astaxanthin is ubiquitous in nature, especially in the marine environment, and is responsible for eliciting the pinkish-red hue to the flesh of salmonids, shrimp, lobster and crayfish. Cultivation methods have been developed to produce Haematococcus containing 1.5-3.0% astaxanthin by dry weight, with potential applications as a pigment source in aquaculture, poultry feeds and in the nutraceutical area. " ... 

Currently microalgae are used as nutrition supplement in special applications like medium quality improvement or the coloring of foods, for example salmon with beta carotene. Nonalimentation appHcations of microalgae include biofertilizers from biochar and cosmetic ingredients for face and skin care [45]. For industrial processes, microalgae are a potential source for fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and pigments. Recently, they are also discussed for the provision of biofuels [44]. 

Carotenoids (Figure 2.8) are yellow orange and red terpenoid pigments in microalgae. The two main compounds are -carotene and astaxanthin. Carotenoids are mosdy used as food colorants and supplements for human and animal feeds. Both -carotene and astaxanthin can be synthesized through chemical reactions at a much lower price compared with those derived from microalgae. However, natural carotenoids have the... 

---