Mining marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae for peridinin production by optimizing light conditions and...

As a promising marine bioresource, Amphidinium carterae represents a significant source of peridinin, a light-harvesting carotenoid exclusive to dinoflagellates. However, its low cultivation density has hindered its exploitation, particularly for efficient peridinin production. This study initially screened the optimal light intensity of 55 μmol/m²/s and a mixotrophic culture condition supplemented with 5 g/L glycerol for A. carterae cultivation. Subsequently, a combined cultivation strategy achieved the highest cell density of 9.76 × 10⁶ cells/mL and a peridinin yield of 32.44 mg/L. Scale-up cultivation in column photobioreactors demonstrated the robust adaptability of A. carterae, as evidenced by the photosynthetic and respiratory rate measurements. Furthermore, comprehensive in vitro antioxidant assessments revealed the potent antioxidant activity of peridinin, which exhibited comparable efficacy to fucoxanthin and superior performance relative to β-carotene. Through systematic optimization, this study has achieved the highest cell density and peridinin yield in A. carterae reported thus far.