Quantity and quality of (beta-carotene produced by two strains of Dunaliella salina (Teodoresco 1905) from the north of Chile

The growth and the quantity and quality of carotenes produced by two Chilea n strains of D. salina (CONC-001 and CONC-007), grown in two different medi a (PES and SM) were analyzed. No important differences were found between t he two media either in the growth or in the carotenogenesis suggesting that the low-cost media (SM) would be appropriate for large scale culture of D. salina. The strain CONC-007 displayed the lower growth rate, but the highe st productivity of carotenoid per cell and the highest 9-cis beta-carotene content whereas the strain CONC-001 exhibited the highest growth rate but a lower accumulation of carotenoid per cell and a low 9-cis beta-carotene co ntent. The Chilean strains were both more carotenogenic than the reference strain Dunaliella bardawil.