PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ASTAXANTHIN-CONTAINING LIPID

摘要

It is intended to improve a method of culturing green alga Haematococcus pluvialis to thereby attain striking acceleration of nursing cell proliferation and astaxanthin biosynthesis over the prior art and thus to provide a process for efficiently producing astaxanthin from the culture. There is provided a process comprising culturing green alga Haematococcus pluvialis in a culture medium wherein use is made of an organic nitrogen source of <=65%, preferably <=43%, still preferably <=35% AN/TN ratio to thereby obtain an alga having astaxanthin-containing lipid accumulated therein. If necessary, the astaxanthin-containing lipid is extracted from the alga, and if desired, the extract is further purified.