Production of red pigments by the insect pathogenic fungus Cordyceps unilateralis BCC 1869

Abstract

Production of red pigments (naphthoquinones) by the insect pathogenic fungus Cordyceps unilateralis BCC 1869 was investigated in this study. Cultivation conditions, including temperature, intitial pH of medium, and aeration, were optimised to improve the yield of total naphthoquinones in shake-flask culture of C. unilateralis. The highest yield of total naphthoquinones (3 g L-1) was obtained from a 28-day culture grown in potato dextrose broth with an initial pH of 7.0, at 28 degrees C with shaking-induced aeration at 200 rpm. An extraction process for isolation of the targeted naphthoquinone, 3,5,8-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(5-oxohexa-1,3-dienyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone (3,5,8-TMON), from a culture of C. unilateralis, was also developed. The yield of 3,5,8-TMON obtained was about 1.2 g L-1 or 40% of total naphthoquinones. The stability of 3,5,8-TMON was very high, even upon exposure to strong sunlight (70,000 lx), high temperature up to 200 degrees C, and acid and alkali solutions at concentrations of 0.1 M.

Characterization and Cytotoxicity Assay of Pigment Producing Microbes

“…food production, textile industries, paper production, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, printing and dye industries over synthetic colors by virtue of its carcinogenic and teratogenic nature (Unagul et al, 2005). Natural pigments not only have the capacity to increase the marketability of products but they also display advantageous biological activities as antioxidants and anticancer agents (Malik et al, 2012).…”

Optimization of fermentation conditions for red pigment production from Penicillium sp. under submerged cultivation

“…The highest biomass and pigment production was observed when initial pH of culture medium set at pH 9.0. These correspond with pigment production in other microorganism, in that pH 9.0 was found best for growth and pigment production (Unagul et al, 2005). Penicillium was cultivated under various temperatures for mycelial growth and pigment production (15 -35 °C).…”

Production, Extraction and Characterization of Red Pigment Produced by Serratia rubidaea JCM 1240T isolated from Soil

“…To counter act the ill effect of synthetic colorants, there is worldwide interest in process of development for the production of pigments from natural sources. The utilization of natural pigments in foodstuff, dyestuff, cosmetic and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes has been increasing in recent years thanks to the knowledge about the harmful effects of synthetic pigments and their industrial byproducts on humans and the environment (Unagul et al, 2005;Chidambaram and Lakshmanaperumalsamy, 2009).…”