Chemical Profiling, Bioactivity Evaluation and the Discovery of a Novel Biopigment Produced by Penicillium purpurogenum CBS 113139

Abstract

Biobased pigments are environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic variants with an increased market demand. Production of pigments via fermentation is a promising process, yet optimization of the production yield and rate is crucial. Herein, we evaluated the potential of Penicillium purpurogenum to produce biobased pigments. Optimum sugar concentration was 30 g/L and optimum C:N ratio was 36:1 resulting in the production of 4.1–4.5 AU (namely Pigment Complex A). Supplementation with ammonium nitrate resulted in the production of 4.1–4.9 AU (namely Pigment Complex B). Pigments showed excellent pH stability. The major biopigments in Pigment Complex A were N-threonyl-rubropunctamin or the acid form of PP-R (red pigment), N-GABA-PP-V (violet pigment), PP-O (orange pigment) and monascorubrin. In Pigment Complex B, a novel biopigment annotated as N-GLA-PP-V was identified. Its basic structure contains a polyketide azaphilone with the same carboxyl-monascorubramine base structure as PP-V (violet pigment) and γ-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA). The pigments were not cytotoxic up to 250 μg/mL.

A new endophyte Monascus ruber SRZ112 as an efficient production platform of natural pigments using agro-industrial wastes

“…Moreover, a chemical synthesis of pigments is a complex process and generates unwanted by-products and hazardous wastes affecting the environment 3 . Nowadays, extraction of natural pigments from plants and animals have gained more attention 4 ; however, it is an expensive process with very low yield and environmentally costly 5 . By 2024, it was expected that the world color market used in food industry will reach approximately 5.7 billion US dollar 6 .…”