Fucoxanthin Bioproduction from Marine Diatoms: Regulatory Strategies and Industrial Potential of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Odontella aurita—A Review
Aug 2026· Marine Drugs· Vol 24· 0 citations· 64 references
Medicine
TL;DR
A side-by-side benchmark of these two marine diatoms is provided, offering a data-driven reference for process development and industrial deployment of microalgae-derived fucoxanthin, and high-yield induction methods from the dimensions of nutrient regulation, light optimization, exogenous induction, and strain improvement are summarized.
Abstract
Fucoxanthin is a high-value marine xanthophyll with a unique epoxy-allene structure, predominantly produced by brown macroalgae and marine diatoms, and additionally reported in other heterokont lineages including chrysophytes and certain haptophytes. As a core light-harvesting pigment, it exhibits multiple bioactivities including lipid-lowering, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, with broad applications in functional foods, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Currently, over 70% of commercial fucoxanthin is extracted from brown macroalgae such as Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida. However, due to low endogenous pigment content and significant extraction losses, the industrial yield is only 0.05–0.1% of dry weight, failing to meet the growing downstream demand for stable high-purity supply. Marine diatoms, characterized by short growth cycles, high pigment content, and controllable culture conditions, have emerged as a core direction for industrial upgrading. Among them, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Odontella aurita are the two most systematically studied high-yield strains with outstanding potential. This review adopts volumetric productivity (mg/(L·d)) as the core evaluation metric, which integrates biomass concentration, pigment content, and production cycle, and reflects industrial efficiency more reliably than single intracellular content data. We summarize high-yield induction methods from the dimensions of nutrient regulation, light optimization, exogenous induction, and strain improvement, and systematically compare downstream processing, safety profiles, and regulatory status between the two diatoms. Furthermore, we evaluate multi-product co-production potential and scale-up performance from a techno-economic perspective. This review provides a side-by-side benchmark of these two marine diatoms, offering a data-driven reference for process development and industrial deployment of microalgae-derived fucoxanthin.
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This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of preparation strategies, bioactivities, stabilization, and delivery approaches and applications of phycocyanobilin, while also addressing current challenges related to processing adaptability and industrial applications to support the high-value development of algae-derived functional pigments.
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Strategic bioconversion of lignocellulosic agro-wastes like sugarcane bagasse (SCB) into high-value Riboflavin is a rarely reported phenomenon. The present study explored a Riboflavin-producing bacterial strain,
Microbacterium proteolyticum
BWBTDIPO1 (GenBank Acc no.: PQ517523), isolated from the dumping area of Kolkata, West Bengal for its caliber to utilize SCB as a source of carbon and energy for the sustainable bio-production of the valuable nutraceutical under submerged fermentation (SmF) conditions. A strong association of bacterial growth (specific growth rate of μ = 0.325 h
-1
) with production of Riboflavin (yield of 397 ± 15.8 mgL
-
1, which amounts to 19.85 ± 2.0 mg per gram of SCB after 78 h) was recorded. Yeast extract peptone mineral salt media (YPMSM) was found to be the most suitable medium for the production. UV-Vis spectrophotometry and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with an R
f
value of 0.83 confirmed that the metabolite was Riboflavin. The biochemical assays revealed that the strain utilized SCB components, including lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Further confirmation of biomass deconstruction was assessed via FTIR, XRD, and FESEM analysis, where reports ensured successful deconstruction of SCB by the bacterial isolate. To complement the experimental findings, KEGG-based
in silico
pathway analysis was performed to explore potential metabolic routes associated with lignocellulosic biomass utilization and carbon metabolism. The predicted pathways provide a hypothetical framework for understanding biomass deconstruction and require experimental validation. This is the first report of Riboflavin production from waste SCB via bacterial treatment
(M. proteolyticum)
, indicating the novel nature of the strain and the methodology employed. Valorizable Riboflavin obtained from waste SCB can be a green alternative to chemical Riboflavin synthesis as well as bulk SCB waste management, promoting the concept of microbe-mediated waste-to-wealth conversion, thus contributing to circular bioeconomy.
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A spore-free, high-yield, scalable production platform for oosporein was established, highlighting the potential of rare, protected fungal species as sources for valuable enzymes and bioactive secondary metabolites for efficient microbial biomanufacturing systems.
Niklas Broel, F. V. Wengner, J. Stein et al.· Journal of Agricultural and...· 0 citations
Fungal pigments hold significant food industrial value due to their safe and sustainable properties. Here we identified a naturally occurring coculture pair
Epicoccum nigrum
SPDX618 and
Mucor racemosus
SPDX522 in vinegar mash that produced red pigments, which was not observed in either monoculture. Our results showed that
E. nigrum
acted as the pigment producer while
M. racemosus
served as the elicitor. Response surface methodology and pH stabilization strategy improved the yield of red pigment into 328.7 U/g. Through bioactivity-guided fractionation coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS and in silico structure reconstitution, four red pigments were preliminarily assigned as anthracycline-like compounds. RNA-seq analysis revealed a putative dual-PKS gene cluster (SPDX618009169–SPDX618009178) with exclusively upregulation in cocultured
E. nigrum
that is potentially involved in red pigment biosynthesis. Besides, the production of the yellow pigment epipyrone was reduced in cocultured
E. nigrum
, consistent with the downregulated transcription level of its biosynthesis genes. Comparative metabolomics analysis further revealed a broad downregulation in both of primary metabolism and secondary metabolism in coculture system, indicating that a competition interaction relationship also existed between
E. nigrum
and
M. racemosus
. Altogether, this study reports a fungal coculture system that exhibited red pigments production. These findings contribute to the understanding of microbial interaction-driven metabolite biosynthesis and may provide a foundation for future exploration of their potential application as a colorant.
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An Epicoccum nigrum–Mucor racemosus coculture system was identified to produce red pigment for the first time.
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E. nigrum acts as the red pigment producer and M. racemosus serves as the elicitor.
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RNA-seq analysis tentatively identified a putative dual-PKS gene cluster upregulated in coculture that is putatively involved in red pigment biosynthesis.
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