Carotenoid content in growing cells of Haematococcus pluvialis during a sunlight cycle

Under certain culture conditions, cells of the chlorophyte Haematococcus pluvialis accumulate significant amounts of astaxanthin. This study describes biomass and carotenoid production during a sunlight cycle in a continuous culture of growing cells of H. pluvialis and shows that these two parameters are under the control of irradiance. The hourly carotenoid production increases with light intensity and, in our culture conditions, carotenoid accumulation occurs in a few hours and without any morphological change in the algae. These carotenoids seem to be efficient in protecting algal cells against photoinhibition damage if their content is greater than 1 % dry biomass. Below this concentration, that is to say in the early hours of high light intensity, dry biomass decreases due to cell lysis. The results demonstrate that secondary carotenoid accumulation in H. pluvialis may occur in the active growth phase and is stimulated from the first hours of sunlight illumination.