Isolation, Characterization of Pigment Producing Bacteria from Various Food Samples and Testing of Antimicrobial Activity of Bacterial Pigments

Abstract

Microbial pigments are the characteristic feature of some bacteria to produce pigments which may be useful in identification. Bacterial pigments offer promising avenues for various applications due to their better biodegradability and higher compatibility with the environment. The aim of the present study was to isolate the microorganisms from different food samples capable of producing pigments with antimicrobial activity. A total of three pigmented colonies were isolated and an antibacterial activity of the pigments was studied against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The extracted pigments had inhibitory effect on both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria indicating antibacterial nature of the isolated pigments.

Keywords: biocolours, pigments, bacteria, antibacterial activity