PRODUCTION OF C-13-LABELED BETA-CAROTENE FROM DUNALIELLA-SALINA

A 4.5 litre photobioreactor was developed and used to produce C-13-lab elled beta-carotene by feeding (CO2)-C-13 to growing cells of the mari ne alga Dunaliella salina. Three runs were carried out using different feeding regimes producing beta-carotene containing 40, 56 and 76 Atom % C-13. Approximately 145 mg beta-carotene was recovered from each run . Incorporation of C-13 into beta-carotene ranged from 1.4 to 2.8%. Th e labelled beta-carotene produced would allow multiple tracer experime nts for the study of human carotenoid metabolism.