Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
QFB. Víctor Eduardo Navarro Macías
Abstract: Carotenoids are compounds of lipophilic nature; their structure has 40 carbon molecules and have the property of absorbing light. These compounds are responsible for coloring some fruits. They are of great importance in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for their various applications, such as dyes. The demand for carotenoids is increasing not only because they are natural colorants, but also because of the beneficial properties that they have since they possess antioxidant activity in such a way that they help to prevent diseases. The objective of the present work was to create a food supplement with microbial lycopene, to achieve this, R. glutinis was used. Fermentations were carried out with distinct carbon source concentrations (dextrose) and reactor form, obtaining as maximum production of carotenoids 1.88 mg / g. Subsequently, different lycopene extraction methods (Osmotic shock, Ultraturrax homogenizer, Self-nailing, Ultrasound and Pearl thousand) were evaluated, demonstrating that the bead mill is the most efficient for the cellular breakdown of R. glutinis. Finally, the lycopene obtained by spray drying was micro-encapsulated using candelilla wax and pectin as transport agents, obtaining a percentage of encapsulation efficiency of 29.23%. With all this information, it is concluded that the production of lycopene-based food supplements of microbial origin is an alternative to satisfy the demand, however it is necessary to carry out studies that allow obtaining better yields.
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