Nippon Oil Company

Mikihiro Takaki

Akira Tsubokura

Hisashi Yoneda

Takashi Kiyota

Bacterium belonging to a new genus, and a process for production of carotenoid pigment selected from the group consisting of astaxanthin, adonixanthin, .beta.-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin, comprising the steps of culturing a bacterium capable of producing at least one of the carotenoid pigments, and recovering an individual carotenoid pigments. The producer bacterium belongs to new genus. According to the present process various carotenoids can be produced in an industrial scale. By the present process (3S, 3'S)-astaxanthin can be produced in an almost 100% purity.

Bacteria for production of carotenoids

Bacteria belonging to new genus process for production of carotenoids

A process for production of canthaxanthin comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism capable of producing canthaxanthin and belonging to the genus Corynebacterium, such as Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348 (FERM BP-4284), and recovering canthaxanthin from the culture.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Mikihiro Takaki