Stimulation of biomass and astaxanthin accumulation in Haematococcus pluvialis using low-temperature plasma (LTP)

Increasing biomass of H. pluvialis can improve astaxanthin production. In this work, we employed low-temperature plasma (LTP) to explore new ways of improving biomass and astaxanthin production in H. pluvialis. We optimized the LTP treatment conditions, analyzed the growth, photosynthetic efficiency and transcriptome of H. pluvialis. We found that LTP at proper condition could effectively improve the growth of H. pluvialis and affect the processes of synthetic and metabolic production of the phytohormones beneficial for the stimulation of H. pluvialis biomass and astaxanthin accumulation. This study therefore not only provides a novel approach for promoting the growth of H. pluvialis and its production of astaxanthin, but also gives some new insights into the mechanism of LTP-induced stimulation effect on H. pluvialis.