PURPOSE: To efficiently obtain the subject extract which is a natural pigment having high absorption ratio by treating astaxanthin-producing yeast of the genus Phaffia rhodozyma with a cell wall digesting enzyme derived from Trichoderma reesei ATCC 1361 and eluting the product out of the cell.

CONSTITUTION: A yeast of the genus Phaffia having astaxanthin (3,3'-dihydroxy- carotene-4,4'-dione)-producing ability (e.g. Phaffia rhodozyma ATCC 66272) is charged into a culture medium and is subjected to shaking culture at 20-22°C for 3 days and the culture solution is inoculated into a fermenter in which the culture medium is packed and cultured at 22°C culture temperature under sufficient ventilation conditions for about 72 hr and the resultant microbial strain in exponential phase state is centrifuged to provide the yeast. Then, a cell wall digesting enzyme derived from Trichoderma reesei ATCC 1361 and used in an amount of 1-3 units per g of dried yeast is added to the yeast and the yeast is treated at a reaction pH of 4.0-5.0 and a reaction temperature of 25-35°C for a treating hour of 2-4 hr to elute astaxanthin out of the cell and the elute is extracted to provide the objective astaxanthin-containing yeast extract.