Estudo da obtenção de carotenóides por fermentação empregando a levedura Rhodotorula sp em melaço e caldo de cana-de-açúcar como meio de cultura

Abstract

The appearance of natural or processed food is very important for its acceptance, and color is one of the most important sensory properties. Carotenoids give red, orange and yellow colors in foods. The carotenoid production by biotechnological route has been expanded in recent years, since it allows obtaining this product for any time of year. For this, it is necessary to provide favorable conditions for the development of yeast as: pH, temperature, aeration, agitation, light and nutrients. Since yeasts are capable of growth on low cost substrate. This study aimed to obtain carotenoids by fermentation using molasses and sugar cane juice as a means of cultivation and yeast Rhodotorula sp as biocatalyst process. The molasses at the concentrations 25%, 50% and 75%, sugar cane and a synthetic medium were used as substrate for the inoculation of yeast Rhodotorula sp. During the fermentation samples for determining pH, microorganism and reducing sugar and at the end of fermentation were collected and centrifuged samples were collected, obtaining the biomass of the microorganism to perform the extraction: acetone/petroleum ether 1: 1 (v/v) acetone/petroleum ether 1:1 (v/v) and extracted with ultrasound and dimethylsulfoxide. The carotenoid determination was by UV-vis the wavelength of 450 nm. From the results obtained, we can detach the possibility of using sugar cane juice and molasses as cultivation medium diluted to obtain carotenoids and that among the extraction methods employed carotenoid extraction with acetone/petroleum ether was more efficient.