Processing and Methods
Yunnan Alphy Biotech Co. Ltd is a high-tech enterprise engaged in the industrial cultivation of green alga Haematococcus Pluvialis, able to accumulate in the cells a large amount of red hematochrome, when environmental conditions become unfavourable for normal cell growth. This property of Haematococcus Pluvialis was taken as a basis for the development and implementation of its proprietary technologies for the production of natural Astaxanthin.
It is known that the accumulation of astaxanthin in microalgae cells occurs under the action of various stress factors. Her cells go to the state of hematocysts. The physiological role of this transformation is to adapt to stressful conditions. During the transition, the photosynthetic apparatus is reduced, the cell wall thickens and the appearance in the cytoplasm of lipid inclusions containing astaxanthin predominantly in the form of esters with fatty acids.
The microalga of Haematococcus Pluvialis belongs to the freshwater species Chlorophyta from the Haematococcaceae family and is well known in the commercial microalgae production market with a high content of Astaxanthin carotenoid, which is a strong antioxidant.
Phase of green algae
The very process of commercial growing of biomaterial, developed by Yunnan Alphy Biotech Co. Ltd., is based on two main stages of algae cultivation.
The first stage is the «Phase of green algae». The process begins with an individual selection of high-quality sterilized Haematococcus Pluvialis strains by employees of the company’s research department. In a laboratory intended for cultivation, the selected strains are placed in special flasks with the appropriate nutrient medium and light. Further growth of algae colonies takes place under the close supervision of specialists.
Reproduction occurs until the biomass of newly cultivated Haematococcus pluvialis reaches a size suitable for inoculation into open bioreactors. The main goal of this stage of the process is to obtain the maximum number of viable unicellular algae during the normal fission process.
The «green phase» creates and maintains optimal conditions for maximum biomass growth.
Phase of red algae
The second stage of algae cultivation is called the «Phase of red algae». During this process, algae cells synthesize and accumulate Astaxanthin. In the course of this stage, unfavourable conditions are created for unicellular algae, most often by changing the nutrient medium or the intensity of sunlight.
Yunnan Alphy Biotech Co. Ltd uses supercritical CO2 as an extraction solvent for the production of natural astaxanthin. This extraction is extremely effective (the yield of the target substance exceeds 90%), and at the same time, the selected product is not contaminated with synthetic solvents, because CO2 does not leave even a trace.
As a result of stress, Haematococcus pluvialis cells begin to form hematocysts, the cell walls thicken, and the active appearance of lipid inclusions containing Astaxanthin is observed in the cytoplasm.
Natural Astaxanthin has value for such areas of activity as aquaculture, the production of feed and animal health products, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, etc.
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