Patent ID: 7745170
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: A23L,A23V,C09B,C12N,C12P

Abstract:
1. A process for producing a carotenoid mixture containing zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin, comprising mutating a parent astaxanthin-producing bacterium having a 16S ribosomal RNA that is not less than 98% homologous to sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; culturing the mutants obtained to form colonies on a solid medium; selecting yellow to orange colonies on said solid medium; culturing the selected mutant colonies in a culture medium; extracting and analyzing the carotenoids in the culture; screening for a mutant strain having 20% or more proportion by mass of zeaxanthin to total carotenoids in said culture to provide a bacterium producing zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin; culturing said bacterium; and harvesting a carotenoid mixture containing zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin from the resultant culture.