Commercial potential for Haematococcus microalgae as a natural source of astaxanthin.

As a result of high production costs, commercial products from microalgae must command high prices. Astaxanthin produced by Haematococcus is a product that has become a commercial reality through novel and advanced technology. Cultivation methods have been developed to produce Haematococcus containing 1.5-3.0% astaxanthin by dry weight, with potential applications as a pigment source in aquaculture, poultry feeds and in the worldwide nutraceutical market.