Pigmented spore-forming bacterial strains were isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of chickens for screening for heat-stable carotenoid-producing strains that could be applied as feed supplements. Of the seven heat-stable pigmented isolates screened, only two, yellow Sporosarcina saromensis CH1 and red-orange Bacillus aquimaris CH9, produced pigments with typical carotenoid absorbance peaks (400–500 nm). The CH9 carotenoids exhibited higher scavenging activity () of DPPH free radicals than the CH1 carotenoids () and carotenoids of the reference B. indicus HU36 strain (), in comparison to 100% activity of acid ascorbic at µM as the standard. | Journal of Biotechnology 14(4): 761-768, 2016 CAROTENOID PRODUCING BACILLUS GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS AQUIMARIS FOUND IN CHICKEN Tran Thi Luong1, Ngo Thi Huong1, Bui Thi Viet Ha1, Pham Thi Thu Huong1, Nguyen Hoa Anh2, Do Thi Viet Huong3, Quach Thi Ha Van4, Phan Tuan Nghia1, Nguyen Thi Van Anh1, * 1 Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Protein Technology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 2 ANABIO Research & Development JSC 3 Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 4 Research and Training Center for Pharmacy, Vietnam Military Medical University. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: vananhbiolab@ Received: Accepted: SUMMARY Pigmented spore-forming bacterial strains were isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of chickens for screening for heat-stable carotenoid-producing strains that could be applied as feed supplements. Of the seven heat-stable pigmented isolates screened, only two, yellow Sporosarcina saromensis CH1 and red-orange Bacillus aquimaris CH9, produced pigments with typical carotenoid absorbance peaks (400–500 nm). The CH9 carotenoids exhibited higher scavenging activity () of DPPH free radicals than the CH1 carotenoids () and carotenoids of the reference B. indicus HU36 strain (), in comparison to 100% activity of acid ascorbic at µM as the standard. The CH9 strain produced high levels of carotenoids (439 µg [g DW]-1) and formed nearly 100% spores, whereas the CH1 strain produced low levels of carotenoids (92 µg [g DW]-1) and only achieved 30% sporulation. Chromatographic and spectral profiles of the carotenoids found in CH9 indicated the presence of as many as 11 different carotenoid types closely related to 1-HOdemethylspheroidene and keto/hydroxyl derivatives of γ carotene. We successfully produced concentrated orange CH9 spore powder at a high concentration of × 1011 CFU g-1; these spores were much more heatstable .
