[1] The genus Blakeslea was named in honor of American botanist Albert Francis Blakeslee based on B.

[1][5] The asexual reproductive phase of Blakeslea trispora involves the production of sporangiospores produced in sporangia.

[1] Contact and interchange between the opposite mating types is a necessary precursor to induce sexual reproduction and development of zygospores.

[6][9] At the beginning of the sexual reproduction cycle of B. trispora, the initial step is the production of carotenes from carotenoids.

[12][10] As these two different sex types produce TSA, they sense sexually complementary cells and form gametangia.

[1][11][10] Thus, Blakeslea trispora requires certain concentrations of TSA to activate carotenogenesis and produce more carotenoids (about 0.5% of its dry weight) which can be accumulated in the zygospores of B.

Blakeslea trispora needs both mating types to synthesize lycopene on a commercially applicable scale.

[13] To produce an optimal amount of lycopene, excess (-) mating type at a 1:2 (+/-) ratio with inoculum ages 36 and 48 hours respectively is favorable.

[1] Lycopene is one of the most important carotene molecules because it is capable of producing both β-carotene and other carotenoids, well known for their potent anti-oxidant activities.

As such, β-carotene and other carotenoids play crucial roles for oxidative stress reduction and cardiovascular protection.

[3] Carotenoids have highly efficient antioxidant scavenging activities against ROS (reactive oxygen species), such as singlet-oxygen and free radicals.

[3][15] A case study by Weilian Hu and his colleagues in 2013 showed that the administration of lycopene in adult mice appeared to improve the activity of antioxidant enzyme.

[15] They have reported that, the administration of Blakeslea trispora powder, which contains high amounts of lycopene has the potential to protect the liver, brain, kidney and skin against oxidative stress.

[15] Furthermore, they are further investigating whether the fungus Blakeslea trispora could be a potent effector of anti-aging because of its ability to efficiently mass-produce amounts of lycopene.

[12] β-carotenes are known to be a powerful stimulant of the human immune system and play significant roles in the prevention of degenerative diseases and cancers.

[12] However, dysregulation of ROS can lead to DNA damaging, inactivation of enzymes and proteins, disruption of membranes.

[12] Further investigations of β-carotene usage collected from Blakeslea trispora may lead to great improvements to human health in the treatment and prevention of certain chronic diseases such as cancer.