PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high-purity, inexpensive, and safe composition containing a high carotenoid and its industrial process for producing the same, and further to provide a functional food, a pharmaceutical composition, or a cosmetic comprising the composition.SOLUTION: Disclosed is the process for producing the carotenoid-containing composition, which includes the steps of: extracting a culture of a microorganism capable of producing the carotenoid with a water-soluble organic solvent to produce an extract dispersing the extract in water in a micelle state to produce a micelle solution and agitating the micelle solution in a solvent while heating to disrupt micelles in the micelle solution and precipitate the desired carotenoid component, thereby obtaining a precipitate collecting the precipitate and washing the precipitate with ethanol while heating and pulverizing and drying the precipitate. Also disclosed is a food, a pharmaceutical composition or a cosmetic comprising the carotenoid-containing composition.COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】高純度、安価かつ安全なカロテノイド高含有組成物及びその工業的な製造方法の提供。さらには該組成物を含有する機能性食品、医薬組成物、又は化粧品の提供。【解決手段】カロテノイドを産生する微生物の培養物を、水溶性有機溶媒で抽出する工程;得られる抽出液を、水中に分散させミセル化する工程;得られるミセル化液を、溶媒中で加熱攪拌してミセルを破壊し、目的のカロテノイド成分を沈殿させて沈殿物を得る工程;前記沈殿物を回収してエタノールで加熱洗浄する工程;及び沈殿物をさらに粉砕乾燥する工程を含むカロテノイド含有組成物の製造方法、並びに該カロテノイド含有組成物を含有する食品、医薬組成物、又は化粧品。【選択図】なし
