Pigments from Antarctic bacteria and their biotechnological applications

Abstract

Pigments from microorganisms have triggered great interest in the market, mostly by their “natural” appeal, their favorable production conditions, in addition to the potential new chemical structures or naturally overproducing strains. They have been used in: food, feed, dairy, textile, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The high rate of pigment production in microorganisms recovered from Antarctica in response to selective pressures such as: high UV radiation, low temperatures, and freezing and thawing cycles makes this a unique biome which means that much of its biological heritage cannot be found elsewhere on the planet. This vast arsenal of pigmented molecules has different functions in bacteria and may exhibit different biotechnological activities, such as: extracellular sunscreens, photoprotective function, antimicrobial activity, biodegradability, etc. However, many challenges for the commercial use of these compounds have yet to be overcome, such as: the low stability of natural pigments in cosmetic formulations, the change in color when subjected to pH variations, the low yield and the high costs in their production. This review surveys the different types of natural pigments found in Antarctic bacteria, classifying them according to their chemical structure. Finally, we give an overview of the main pigments that are used commercially today.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Antarctica
• antimicrobials
• carotenoid
• indolic biochromes
• psychrophiles
• microbial pigments
• quinones
• tetrapyrroles
• UV resistance
• violacein

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas – FAPEAL [reference number: #60030 1074/2016], Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP [reference number: #2016/05640-6], and Consellho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq [reference number #433388/2018-8].