Abstract:
Carotenoids are substances with very special and remarkable
properties that no other groups of substances possess and that form the basis
of their many, varied functions and actions in all kinds of living organisms.
Often traditionally thought of as plant pigments, the carotenoids have a much
wider distribution and occur extensively also in animals and
microorganisms. Carotenoid biosynthesis is a specific feature of the
Rhodotorula species, Rhodosporidium and Phaffia genera.
The recovery of high added-value products from waste plant material
has been an important issue with economic relevance for the pharmaceutical
and food industries. Based on utilizations of natural antioxidants like
polyphenolic compounds, it should be noted that there is very little
information on the interaction between yeasts and polyphenols, although
some researchers accept the fact that yeasts plays a direct part in the
breakdown of these substances and recent studies sustain the existence of an
inhibitory effect on carotenoids microbial biosynthesis.
Response of both strains to natural antioxidants was different and the
level of the polyphenolic compounds show that it is possible to use them
partially as a carbon energy source by the yeasts, as shown by the evolution
of both mass quantity and yeast dry substance. Glucose was utilized at a
higher rate in the case of antioxidants added and the total carotenoids
produced by yeasts in the case of incubation with different initial
concentrations of vegetal extract were higher with 66%.
