Ecofriendly antimicrobial pigments produced by Actinomycetes and their application in textiles dyeing

Abstract

Natural pigments can obtained from different sources such as animals, plants, microbes and minerals. The microbial pigments have a great interest due to several advantages such as fast growing of microbes than plants and animals, it can grow at any time and any place under controlled conditions, growing on cheap substances and produce a large amount of different stable pigments. Among microorganisms, actinobacteria are the most economically and biotechnologically useful prokaryotes in natural pigment production. It is widely distributed in soil, water and other natural environments. The genus of Streptomyces is considered the largest group of actinobacteria species and varieties. These species can produce a large number of natural pigments such as melanin and prodigiosin like pigment. The aims of this study are as follows: 1- To obtain rhizospheric actinobacteria produce natural pigments. 2- Enhancement of pigment production by changing the environmental and cultural conditions. 3- Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of produced pigment(s) against some pathogenic microbes. 4- Determination of dyeing properties of produced pigment(s). 5- Application of nanotechnology to improve the properties of produced pigment (s). The conclusion from this study is as follows: A- Isolation of Pigment Producing Actinobacteria from Rhizosphere Soil. 1- Four soil samples were collected from different rhizospheric locations. Two of them from garden of plant department of women's Faculty for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University and 2 samples from garden of National Research Centre, Egypt. 2- Twelve actinobacteria were isolated from collected samples and screened for pigment(s) production. About 6 pigmented positive actinobacteria isolates were obtained. These isolates were around 50% as pigmented actinobacteria. The morphology