Biological and Genomic Characterization of Two Astaxanthin-Producing Paracoccus marcusii Isolates as a Potential Source for Food Additives

Astaxanthin (AST), a carotenoid pigment, has garnered significant interest due to its potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, indicating that it is a valuable natural additive in the aquaculture, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. To date, Paracoccus spp., a known astaxanthin-producing bacteria, has emerged as a potential microbial source of substantial AST production yield and biosynthetic capabilities. This study reports the biochemical and genomic characterization of two Paracoccus isolates, GCUPA1 and GCUPA3, focusing on their potential as sources of natural carotenoids. Both strains were characterized by distinctive red-orange pigmentation and identified as P. marcusii based on 16S rRNA analysis. Spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses were performed to identify the predominant carotenoids, and the results established AST as the predominant carotenoid in both strains. The extracted pigments exhibited significant antioxidant activity in the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, indicating their potential to reduce oxidative stress. Genome phylogeny revealed that both strains were closely related to the carotenoid-producing strain, P. marcusii CP157, confirming their taxonomic position within the species. Notably, the complete genome sequences revealed intact carotenoid biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that encode all essential enzymes (crtWZYIBE) required for astaxanthin synthesis from isoprenoid precursors, with high nucleotide identity between strains. These findings establish P. marcusii GCUPA1 and GCUPA3 as a potential cell factory for sustainable astaxanthin production and suggest significant advantages in terms of processing efficiency and production economics compared to existing microbial systems.