Document Type
Student Conference
Semester of Graduation
Spring 2026
Abstract
Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid pigment found in algae, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Its active form, fucoxanthinol, has shown promise as a potential medicine for asthma. This study aims to optimize the enzymatic conversion of fucoxanthin to fucoxanthinol to enhance its bioavailability as a therapeutic compound, through modeling and validating of Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters. The kinetic parameters include the forward and reverse rate constants (kf, kr), the catalytic rate constant (kcat), and the Michaelis constant (KM). To determine kinetic parameters, pure fucoxanthin was extracted from dried algae using solid-phase extraction. The enzymatic reaction was conducted using lipase and taurocholic acid as an emulsifier in addition to purified fucoxanthin. The samples were collected at various time points to determine changes in substrate and fucoxanthinol production concentrations with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). MATLAB SimBiology was used to model the reaction and determine values of kinetic parameters. To improve kinetic parameters, various concentrations of the substrate (fucoxanthin), emulsifier (taurocholic acid), and enzyme (lipase) were tested to observe their effects on the kinetic parameters. Future work will explore alternative emulsifiers to improve production efficiency and support the potential use of
fucoxanthinol in asthma therapy.
Recommended Citation
Cagnolatti, J., & Kato, N. (2026). Optimization of Fucoxanthinol Production Using Michaelis-Menten Kinetics. Retrieved from https://repository.lsu.edu/discover_dur/41
Awardee Name
Jennifer Cagnolatti
Academic Major
Biological Sciences
Project Mentor
Naohiro Kato