NATURAL CAROTENOID PIGMENTS

FROM 6 CHLOROPHYTA FRESHWATER

GREEN ALGAE SPECIES CELL CULTURE AS
POTENTIAL HALAL FOOD COLORANTS
Nur Hidayah Noha, Rashidi Othmana*, Mohd Aizat Jamaludina
a
International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), Herbarium Unit, Department of Landscape Architecture, Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental
Design, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, halal products are gaining wider recognition as a new benchmark for safety and quality assurance. As a consequence the commercial
development of microalgae are established due to their high value chemicals, for examples, β-carotene, astaxanthin, phycobilin pigments and algal
extracts for cosmaceuticals products. Therefore, many researchers have gained interest to study the potential of microalgae as new valuable chemicals
and other products sources. The aim of the research is to explore new sources of pigments to be used as halal food colorants. This quest is not only
directed in finding natural alternatives for synthetic dyes, but also to discover new taxons for the carotenoid production. Thus, there is a solid need to
investigate the potential of natural pigments particularly carotenoids in microalgae to be fully utilised and commersialised especially in halal market,
health advantages, food products and dye technology. A total of 6 species were evaluated for quantitative and qualitative carotenoid composition
namely Chlorella fusca, Chlorella vurgaris, Selenastrum , Pandorina morum, Botryococcus sudeticus and Chlorococcum sp. The main carotenoids identified in
all species through HPLC analysis were lutein, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. The ratio of these carotenoids varies between species. Lutein was
detected substantially higher in Chlorella fusca (69.54±11.29µg/g DW); β-cryptoxanthin in Pandorina morum species (1.24±0.33 µg/g DW) whereas β-
carotene in Chlorella vulgaris (18.42±9.2 ug/g DW). The significant outcome of the research will be new findings of new natural carotenoid pigment
sources as potential food colorants and bioactive compounds which can be beneficial to halal health promoting products industry.

INTRODUCTION RESULT
The market for certified halal food and products is growing robustly, both domestically and
internationally (Shaarani, 2004; Buang and Zakaria, 2004).The uses of synthetic food colorant
such as sudan I,II and III as food colorant had raise health issue and infact the uses of these types
of food colorant had been banned in certain country. International Agency for research on cancer
had declared that these type of colorant as category 3 carcinogen which means that it can make
some alteration to human gene and hence stimulate the growth of cancerous cell. Regardless to
that their consumption is not shariah compliant for muslim consumer. Plants produce
biochemicals that are of importance in the healthcare, food, flavour and cosmetics industries. Its
photosynthetic pigments can be extract and uses as natural food colorant, an alternative for the
harmfull synthetic food colorant. Green algae (chlorophyta) are known to benefit in human
dietary as they have high nutritional values, related to its composition of biochemical that contain
source of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins. Carotenoid is one of the bio constituent TOTAL CAROTENOID CONTENT (µg/g)
that can be extracted from green microalgae due to the resemblance of its characteristic to
higher level plants. Membrane bound chloroplast and nuclei presence in this type of microalgae
Chlorella fusca Chlorella vurgaris Selenastrum
and carotenoid can be found in that particular organelle. Six species of freshwater green
microalgae (chlorophyta) had been profiled their carotenoid contents in this study which from
the Chlorella fusca, Chlorella vulgaris, Selenastrum, Pandorina morum and Chlorococcum species.
The microalgae were cultured in a sterile optimise condition and the carotenoid content was
analyse via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
79.55 81.81 76.22
METHDODOLOGY B.seduticus P.morum Chlorococcum

53.96 56.82 62.66

DISCUSSION
 3 types of carotenoids ware identified which is lutein, β-
cryptoxanthin and β-carotene
 The highest content of individual carotenoid is as follows:
a) Lutein - Chlorella fusca (69.54±11.29µg/g DW)
Mass microalgae Liquid-liquid High Performance Liquid b) Β-cryptoxanthin – Pandorina morum (1.24±0.33 µg/g DW)
Chromatography (HPLC)
production extraction and
analysis c) Β-carotene - Chlorella vulgaris (18.42±9.2 ug/g DW).
saponification
 The species which has highest carotenoid content is chlorella
vurgaris

ACKNOLEDGEMENT
Authors would like to thanks International Islamic
University Malaysia and Ministry of Higher
Education,Malaysia for the financial support under
the grants Race 14-001-0007
CONCLUSION
 All of the species of freshwater green microalgae in this studies
have carotenoid as one of their photosynthetic pigment
 Due to that, it can be confirmed that several types of freshwater
green microalgae has the potential as the halal sources of natural
food colorants
 The process of obtaining carotenoid from microalgae integrated
with the halal and tayyibah and proved its shariah compliant