Abstract
The use of ascomycetous fungi as pigment producers opens the way to an alternative to synthetic dyes, especially in the red-dye industries, which have very few natural pigment alternatives. The present paper aimed to bio-prospect and screen out 15 selected ascomycetous fungal strains, originating from terrestrial and marine habitats belonging to seven different genera (Penicillium, Talaromyces, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Dreschlera, and Paecilomyces). We identified four strains, Penicillium purpurogenum rubisclerotium, Fusarium oxysporum, marine strains identified as Talaromyces spp., and Trichoderma atroviride, as potential red pigment producers. The extraction of the pigments is a crucial step, whereby the qualitative and quantitative compositions of each fungal extract need to be respected for reliable identification, as well as preserving bioactivity. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for more sustainable and cost-effective extraction methods. Therefore, a pressurized liquid extraction technique was carried out in this study, allowing a greener and faster extraction step of the pigments, while preserving their chemical structures and bioactivities in comparison to conventional extraction processes. The protocol was illustrated with the production of pigment extracts from P. purpurogenum rubisclerotium and Talaromyces spp. Extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid-chromatography combined with photodiode array-detection (HPLC-DAD) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). The more promising strain was the isolate Talaromyces spp. of marine origin. The main polyketide pigment produced by this strain has been characterized as N-threoninerubropunctamine, a non-toxic red Monascus-like azaphilone pigment.
Highlights
Natural colorants are widely used in the world in many industries such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and textiles
The four fungal isolates of marine origin investigated in this study and identified as Talaromyces spp., Talaromyces verruculosus, Trichoderma atroviride, and Aspergillus sydowii were isolated by Mireille Fouillaud from samples collected in the back reef-flat and on the external slope of the coral reef on the west coast of La Reunion island
F. oxysporum, and the marine rubisclerotium, the local marine isolate identified as Talaromyces spp., followed by the strain F
Summary
Natural colorants are widely used in the world in many industries such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. The majority of authorized natural food colorants in the market are of either a plant or vegetable origin, and have numerous drawbacks such as instability against light, heat, or adverse pH, and a low water solubility [1]. The dye industry is currently suffering from the cost increase of feedstock associated with the higher demands of eco-friendly pigments for replacing synthetic dyes (like azo dyes). This is even more the case in the red-dye industries, which have no, J. J. Fungi 2017, 3, 34 or very few, natural red pigment alternatives for food processes. Carmine (or carminic acid, cochineal extract) is produced in Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, and Spain (Canary islands) from the dried bodies of female cochineal insects (Dactylopius coccus), primarily grown on Opuntia cacti [2]
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