review · Marine Drugs
Marine microorganisms, particularly Archaea, offer significant opportunities for biotechnology and pharmacology because of their ecological roles and unique metabolic pathways. Due to their ability to survive in extreme environments, Archaea produce novel metabolites, including unique bioactive pigments known as carotenoids. Although societal demand for natural bioactive pigments is expanding, existing research on archaeal carotenoids remains limited. Few investigations have evaluated their potential medicinal and biotechnological properties or examined ways to achieve industrial-scale production. Current research highlights the ecology, classification, and biochemical characteristics of Archaea, while detailing their distinct carotenoid metabolism and biological attributes. Addressing these metabolic processes alongside the technical considerations for mass cultivation provides a framework for harnessing these underexplored natural pigments for future biotechnological and medical uses.
Natural pigments are increasingly sought after across health, consumer, and pharmaceutical sectors. Understanding the distinct biochemical pathways of extremophilic Archaea opens pathways to discovering unique biomolecules. Expanding knowledge of these organisms and their pigment synthesis helps researchers address the technical barriers of mass cultivation, offering alternatives to synthetic compounds and conventional natural sources.
The work focuses on prospective applications in biotechnology and pharmacology, addressing growing demand for natural bioactive pigments. Potential end users include pharmaceutical manufacturers and biotechnology enterprises seeking novel compounds. However, development remains at an early review stage, as few studies have investigated the properties of these pigments or established viable processes for industrial-scale production.
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For more than 40 years, marine microorganisms have raised great interest because of their major ecological function and their numerous applications for biotechnology and pharmacology. Particularly, Archaea represent a resource of great potential for the identification of new metabolites because of their adaptation to extreme environmental conditions and their original metabolic pathways, allowing the synthesis of unique biomolecules. Studies on archaeal carotenoids are still relatively scarce and only a few works have focused on their industrial scale production and their biotechnological and pharmacological properties, while the societal demand for these bioactive pigments is growing. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on carotenoid metabolism in Archaea and the potential applications of these pigments in biotechnology and medicine. After reviewing the ecology and classification of these microorganisms, as well as their unique cellular and biochemical characteristics, this paper highlights the most recent data concerning carotenoid metabolism in Archaea, the biological properties of these pigments, and biotechnological considerations for their production at industrial scale.
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DOI: 10.3390/md20080524
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