Effects of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin on the growth and morphology of Absidia coerulea

Cyclodextrin has been found to be an attractive novel solubilizer due to its unique material properties. Absidia coerulea is widely used in steroid bioconversion. The effects of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) on the growth, morphology, and steroid-converting activity of A. coerulea CICC 40302 were systematically studied. HP-β-CD affected A. coerulea growth, resulting in changes in its spore morphology and mycelial morphology. It induced an increase in the spore germination rate and a decrease in cell biomass at the stationary phase. Optical microscopy revealed that HP-β-CD altered the mycelial morphology and reduced the pellet compactness of A. coerulea. A convenient and feasible computing method was used to measure pellet compactness, and it demonstrated that the compactness degree of the pellet decreased as HP-β-CD increased, which could be attributed to the modification of the physical properties of the fermentation medium. Moreover, the changing of mycelial morphology influenced steroid-converting activity. The results showed that HP-β-CD had multiple concentration-dependent effects on A. coerulea cells. HP-β-CD in the proper concentration range holds great potential as a biocompatible solubilizer.