Mass Production of Valuable Pro-Vitamin a Pigment from a Microbe, Cost Analysis and Targeting It for Health Benefiting Purpose

Abstract

AbstractMicrobial pigment production has become popular these days due to its numerous application in various fields like pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Color of an object attributes its quality that attracts our attention. Increasing awareness of toxicity of synthetic colors has surfaced consumers’ preference for natural food color additives. Microbial pigments are preferred these days owing to their stability, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, availability throughout the year, and sustainability toward environmental aspects. In food industry, food colorants usage from compound is highly regulated. Safety of microbial pigments is determined through their harmless, nonpathogenic, and biodegradable nature. Bacteria are the most explored microorganism due to their adaptable nature. Hence, research on bacterial pigments should be a sustainable approach for cost reduction and increasing applicability for industrial production. Yield and productivity determines the economics and viability of a bioprocess. Organic chemistry and metabolic engineering advancement have enabled microbial mass production. Development of new tools through recombinant DNA technology has improved yield through genetic manipulation of biosynthetic pathway. There is great scope of metabolic engineering of bacteria for industrial application which may solve certain metabolic diseases and environmental problems. These days, nanotechnology has been applied in food industry for pigment formulation to increase stability, shelf life, leading to better delivery systems for food and feed.KeywordsMicrobial pigmentCarotenoidsFood colorCost-effectiveBacteria