Magnetic fields and agro-industrial by-products as sustainable approaches to enhance carotenoid and lipid production by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

This study aimed to evaluate magnetic fields (MF) and agro-industrial media as sustainable approaches to produce carotenoids and lipids by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Cultivations were carried out in shaken flasks with previously optimized agro-industrial media with sugarcane molasses and corn steep liquor and 30 mT applied to the cultures at different intervals over 168 h. MF application during inoculum cultivation was also evaluated and increased cell concentration by 39.3% and decreased inoculum preparation time. The highest carotenoid and lipid concentrations were achieved when MF was applied for 72 to 96 h. In this condition reaching 0.690 mg L − 1 of volumetric carotenoid concentration and 2481 mg L − 1 of lipid production were reached and represented levels 77% higher of lipids than the control (1404 mg L − 1 ) and resulted in a lipid extract enriched with carotenoids at 168 h of incubation. This study is one of the first to consider MF application and agro-industrial media as a viable, low-cost and sustainable alternative for carotenoid and lipid production by R. mucilaginosa .