Effect of Temperature, pH and Salinity on carotenoid production in Rodotorula mucilaginosa

Abstract

Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, is a species of heterobasidiomycetous yeasts which is able to produce carotenoid pigments. The optimum conditions for carotenoid production of this strain in shaking flask cultivation were a temperature of 30 ÌŠC and initial pH value of 5.0 in a medium of glucose 10 g/L, (NH₄)₂SO₄ 2 g/L, KH₂ (PO₄) 2 g/L, MgSO₄.7H₂O 0.5 g/L, CaCl₂.2H₂O 0.1 g/L, yeast extract 1 g/L. This study demonstrated that this strain failed to produce pigments in any amounts of sea salt.