A comprehensive review on recent trends in production, purification, and applications of prodigiosin

Increasing utilization of artificial chemical dyes as coloring agent and their associated detrimental effects on human health have instigated the search for novel natural pigments for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. A wide range of advancements have been recorded for utilization of naturally extracted pigments, owing to their assurance in affirmative health attentiveness in the past few decades. Therefore, it is essential to investigate various potential natural resources such as plants and microbes from where food-grade colorants can be obtained. Several drawbacks such as low water solubility, instability to light, heat, or adverse pH are associated with natural pigments extracted from plants. On the contrary, microbial pigments having higher stability and productivity are considered a potential alternative to synthetic dyes. Prodigiosin is a linear tripyrrole natural red pigment obtained from Serratia marcescens which is produced as a secondary metabolite. Prodigiosin and their derivatives act as proapoptotic agents against diverse cancer cell lines and also play a vital role in numerous cellular targets, including multi-drug resistance cells with reduced or no reported adverse side effects. Owing to its high potential in various sectors, there is an urgent need to explore and exploit the biosynthesis of prodigiosin using various biotechnological approaches. Furthermore, multifarious aspects in commercial-scale production of prodigiosin along with its contemporary utilization have been critically assessed in this article.