Optimisation and characterisation of the orange pigment produced by a cold adapted strain of Penicillium sp. (GBPI_P155) isolated from mountain ecosystem

Abstract

With globalisation and growing health risks of synthetic colourants, search for pigments from natural sources has increased owing to their non-toxic nature. The present study highlights the bioprospection of natural pigment from a cold adapted fungal strain of Penicillium sp. (GBPI_P155), isolated from soil of Indian Himalayan region. The fungus produced insoluble and orange-coloured pigment in liquid medium with maximum production recorded in potato dextrose (PD) broth at 15°C and 3 pH, while maximum biomass was produced at 25°C and pH 3. While examining the effect of different mineral salts, and carbon and nitrogen sources on pigment production, maximum accumulation of pigment was recorded in PD broth supplemented with 2% maltose. Following production, extraction of pigment was performed using chloroform and characterised partially by UV/vis (λ max at 495 nm and a shoulder peak at 530 nm) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Thin layer chromatography of chloroform extract resulted in separation of pigment in three fractions with Rf values 0.911, 0.852 and 0.808, which were further analysed using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS). The overall approach resulted in identification of pigment as a mixture of different derivatives of carotenoids. The extracted pigment also possessed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and actinobacteria.

Fungi as a Potential Source of Pigments: Harnessing Filamentous Fungi

“…(GBPI_P155) isolated from the high altitude soil of Indian Himalayan region was reported to produce dark orange pigment. This extracted pigment was also found to be active against actinobacteria and several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Pandey et al, 2018).…”

Chemical signals driving bacterial–fungal interactions

“…luteoride D and pseurotin G) in the fungus. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] Sasidharan et al, 2015;Pandey et al, 2018). Joyner et al (2010) reported that oral pathogen S. mutans produces mutanobactin A, that is not only a stress-resistance factor for the bacterium but it has also been found to regulate cross-kingdom interaction by inhibiting the yeastmycelium transition of C. albicans (Joyner et al, 2010;Wu et al, 2010).…”

“…Bacterial and fungal SMs are well known to exhibit multiple functions as antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant agents (Venil et al ., 2013; Tuli et al ., 2015; Narsing Rao et al ., 2017). In addition to a developmental role in the producing microbe some SMs also provide protection against harmful competitors in a BFI due to their antibiotic properties (Mangan, 1969; Visalakchi and Johnpaul, 2010; Sasidharan et al ., 2015; Pandey et al ., 2018). Joyner et al .…”

Fungal Pigments and Their Prospects in Different Industries

“…Many investigations report Penicillium as potent producers of pigment [25,61,[96][97][98], such as arpink red TM (Figure 4) [95]. A biosynthetic pathway for the yellow pigment chrysogine from Penicillium chrysogenum has been proposed recently [92].…”