Carotenoids from tropical microalgae, Isochrysis sp; determination of the effects of carotenoids on known pathogen

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify whether the local microalgae, Jsochrysis sp has commercial value to be apply for future used. Microalgae Jsochrysis sp was first culture in large mass known as batch culture and apply nutrient starvation to the microalgae to increase their carotenoid production due to nutrient limitations. Carotenoid is a pigment that can be found in the microalgae and plant and mostly associate with photosynthetic membranes. The carotenoid then was extracted, dries out and weight to get 29.34 % total carotenoid in dry weight of microalgae 13 g. The crude was tested with antioxidant assay and it showed that the crude does not has EC5o even at high concentration. Further test was MTT cytotoxicity test and showed that the crude has LC5o towards normal cell at concentration 0.24 mg/ml and LC50 towards cancer cell at concentration 0.32 mg/ml. The crude was test with pathogenic bacteria and showed no inhibition towards bacteria growth. From all the tests used on the crude, it's showed that the microalgae do stressed by nutrient starvation. The crude does has LC5o towards normal cell and cancer cell at different concentration but the crude failed to inhibit growth of pathogenic bacteria at concentration 100 mg/ml. Further analysis should be done by using higher concentration to identify the inhibition of bacteria towards the crude concentration.