Evaluation of the extraction and stability of carotenoids from Rhodotorula glutinis biomass in the presence of deep eutectic solvents

• Grant number: 23/09922-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Valéria de Carvalho Santos Ebinuma
• Grantee: Beatriz Mirabili Santana
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06686-8 - Biotechnological process for the development of natural colorants from microbial sources for industrial application: phase II, AP.BIOEN.JP2

Abstract

Carotenoids are liposoluble pigments that can exhibit a range of biological activities, such as antioxidant and anticancer activities. In recent years, biotechnologically sourced carotenoids, particularly those produced by microorganisms, have garnered attention. However, these molecules accumulate within the cells, and unit operations for cell disruption/destruction are necessary to obtain the target molecules.A widely used process for this purpose is solid-liquid extraction employing volatile organic solvents, which are toxic and often unsuitable for use when carotenoids are intended for application due to their potential to destabilize the carotenoids, leading to color and biological activity loss. Thus, the objective of this project is to evaluate the stability of carotenoids produced by the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis, using scalable technologies suitable for industrial levels and green solvents, specifically deep eutectic solvents (DES). Subsequently, these solvents will be applied to extract carotenoids from the microbial biomass.With the development of this project, it is expected to establish a more sustainable and environmentally friendly process for obtaining these compounds, which have a wide range of applications.