Diatom power: Growth and fucoxanthin content of strains from Baja California, Mexico
摘要
Diatoms are a valuable source of bioactive compounds, including fucoxanthin, a carotenoid known for its promising health benefits. Although there is a vast diversity of diatoms capable of producing fucoxanthin, only a few have been thoroughly studied. In light of this, the present study focused on characterizing the growth and fucoxanthin content of six diatom strains native to Baja California, Mexico. Strains of Cymbella sp., Navicula incerta, Gramatophora angulosa, Amphyprora paludosa, Amphora sp., and Navicula sp. were cultured in batch mode for 8 days. Cell densities were measured daily, growth rates were calculated during the exponential growth phase, and fucoxanthin content was quantified in both exponential and stationary growth phases. Significant variations in growth and fucoxanthin production were observed across strains. Amphyroproa paludosa exhibited the highest growth rate (1.03 ± 0.06 divisions day−1) and cell concentration (436 ± 19.53 × 104 cells mL−1). Navicula incerta and Navicula sp. produced the highest fucoxanthin concentrations during the stationary growth phase (7.03 ± 0.01 mg L−1 and 6.93 ± 0.03 mg L−1, respectively). Interestingly, Amphora sp. showed low growth but high fucoxanthin content (6.37 ± 0.03 mg L−1). These results indicate the potential of these diatom strains in aquaculture, food, or biomedical industries. However, further research should focus on scaling up production, optimizing cultivation conditions, and assessing the economic feasibility to maximize biomass and fucoxanthin yield. Additionally, this study underscores the importance of well-characterized native strains due to their adaptability to local environments and their potential for commercial applications.