13 - Yeasts as a source of pigments of biotechnological interest

Abstract

Synthetic chemical compounds are the main sources of industrial dyes, but due to the recent demand for procedures highlighted in “Sustainable Biotechnology,” a search for natural products from renewable sources such as microorganisms has been stimulated. Microorganisms are particularly important in the production of so-called biopigments, which are compatible with industrial-scale processes, and not dependent on seasonal variations, such as those pigments from plant sources. In this regard, yeasts belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota such as Cystobasidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodosporidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, and Hortaea recovered from environments can be a rich field for the prospect of new molecules such as carotenoids and melanin with biotechnological applications such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and photoprotection activities, mainly. From this perspective, yeasts isolated from marine and terrestrial samples may be strategically interesting in the production of pigments with biotechnological differentials.