Production of Astaxanthin from an Ecuadorian Native Strain of Haematococcus Pluvialis in a Photobioreactor

General objective Producing astaxanthin from a native Ecuadorian strain of Haematococcus pluvialis in a photobioreactor Justification Microalgae are the source of a large number of bioactive compounds of industrial interest, within this group carotenoids are of great importance as they are used as natural colorants in animal and human nutrition, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, they have been proposed as effective agents in the prevention of a variety of diseases, due to their antioxidant, immunoregulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer capacity (Camacho Kurmen, González, & Klotz, 2013). Since the trend of human and animal nutrition and health is directed towards the consumption of products of organic origin, the demand for the carotenoid astaxanthin, obtained naturally, will increase due to consumption in the market. Thus, the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis is very attractive as it is one of the best producers of the red carotenoid astaxanthin, since it has the ability to accumulate more than 3% dry weight of pigment (Ramírez Landínez, 2013). Thus, when studying the production of astaxanthin under different stress conditions, after evaluating the growth of the microalgae Haematococcus sp. in the vegetative phase, it will be possible to contribute to the aforementioned productive and industrial sectors.