Ecological-Friendly Pigments From Fungi

Abstract

The dyestuff industry is suffering from the increases in costs of feedstock and energy for dye synthesis, and they are under increasing pressure to minimize the damage to the environment. The industries are continuously looking for cheaper, more environmentally friendly routes to existing dyes. The aim of this minireview is to discuss the most important advances in the fungal pigment area and its interest in biotechnological applications. Characteristic pigments are produced by a wide variety of fungi and the chemical composition of natural dyes are described. These pigments exhibit several biological activities besides cytotoxicity. The synthetic pigments authorized by the EC and in USA and the natural pigments available in the world market are discussed. The obstacle to the exploitation of new natural pigments sources is the food legislation, requesting costly toxicological research, manufacturing costs, and acceptance by consumers. The dislike for novel ingredients is likely to be the biggest impediment for expansion of the pigment list in the near future. If the necessary toxicological testing and the comparison with accepted pigments are made, the fungal pigments, could be acceptable by the current consumer. The potentiality of pigment production in Brazil is possible due to tremendous Amazonian region biodiversity.

Red pigment production by Penicillium purpurogenum GH2 is influenced by pH and temperature

“…Pigments come in a wide variety of colors and some are water-soluble. For these reasons, many of these compounds have been produced, isolated, and characterized (Durán et al, 2002). The scrutiny and negative perceptions of synthetic food pigments by the modern consumer have given rise to a strong interest in natural coloring alternatives (Dufossé, 2006).…”

Spectrophotometric detection of Pigments from Aspergillus and Penicillium isolates

“…8). UV-Visible absorption spectra has been used as method to detect the fungal pigments [10,21]. In case of Monascus purpureus pigments, the absorption peak at 390 nm indicated yellow pigment and peak at 500 nm indicated a red pigment [22].…”

“…Both intracellular and extracellular melanin production in Aspergillus nidulans was detected using infra red spectroscopy [9]. Other spectrophotometric techniques are also used for fungal pigment characterization [10,24,25]. Hence, it is possible to look for useful pigments not only by visible observation but also by spectroscopy.…”

“…However, various types of fungal pigments may be exploited in biotechnology industry. Common fungal pigments detected belong to the group of melanins, carotenoids, lycopene and xanthophylls [8,9,10,11]. These pigments offer protection to fungi and show diverse biological activity [12,13].…”

Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Cytotoxicity, and Dyeing Properties of Prodigiosin Produced by Serratia Marcescens Strain Jar8

“…The pigment production from microorganisms is found to be economical and feasible as it includes easy and fast growth in culture medium. When compared to plant sources [2], it has been reported that microorganisms produce a large variety of stable pigments such as carotenoids, flavonoids, quinones, and rubramines, and the microbial fermentation has higher yields in pigment production and lower residues compared to the use of plants and animals [3]. Among microbial pigments, prodigiosin belongs to the family of natural red pigment extensively characterized by pyrrolylpyrromethane skeleton possessing low molecular weight of 323.4Da which develops in the late stages of bacterial growth.…”