Extracellular pigment production by Fusarium and Aspergillus species

Abstract

The search for substitutes of synthetic dyes has been gaining increasing attention, due to their carcinogenic and allergenic potential. In that sense, the primary focus has been to find sustainable sources, which generate minimal environmental impact during the dyeing process. We aimed to perform a screening on filamentous fungi from genera Fusarium and Aspergillus for biodye extraction. Five species from these genera were fermented in glucose-salts broth and semi-solid potato substrate. Each species was tested in pH 4.6 and 5.6 and incubated under stationary conditions at 20 and 27 °C for 4–6 weeks. The biodye was extracted, concentrated in a rotary evaporator and lyophilized for isolation of its powdered form. Aspergillus parasiticus and A. flavus respectively produced orange and yellow pigments in liquid medium, while Fusarium graminearum produced red pigments in semi-solid substrate. We concluded that the studied fungi are effective biodye producers.