ABSTRACT
Carotenoids are intracellular pigments produced by microorganisms, including some species of yeasts, in the stationary phase of growth by the secondary metabolic pathways. In the present study, different methods of Sporobolomyces ruberrimus H110 yeast cell lysis were evaluated with the objective of optimizing the recovery of intracellular pigments. Three extraction methods were used: vortex (glass beads and quartz stones), planetary mill (glass beads and quartz stones) and dimethyl sulfoxide. For each one of the lysis agents studied, factorial designs were developed considering as independent variables the agitation speed and lysis agent concentration. A central composite planning was defined considering as independent variables the lysis agent concentration and agitation speed, analyzing as response the estimated total number of extracted carotenoids. From the methods studied, a better extraction of total carotenoid (1.74 mg.g-1 of cells and of 1.57 mg.g-1 of cells) using the planetary mill method with 135 mg of glass beads or irregular quartz stones, with an agitation speed of 200 rpm. As to the cell lysis, the analysis indicated that the mechanical methods studied showed to be efficient in regards to cell laceration.