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Fungal Pigments 3.0
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Fungal Pigments 3.0

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Cell Biology, Metabolism and Physiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 20869

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Laurent Dufossé

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Guest Editor
Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles et des Sciences des Aliments, ESIROI Département Agroalimentaire, Université de La Réunion, 2 rue Joseph Wetzell, F‐97490 Sainte‐Clotilde, La Réunion, France
Interests: sustainable textile; microbial biotechnology; microbial production of pigments and colorants; fermentation; bioprocess engineering and fermentation technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the two previous Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X) “Fungal Pigments” Special Issues edited and published in 2017 with 10 papers and in 2021 with 11 papers https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jof/special_issues/fungal_pigments; 
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jof/special_issues/fungal_pigments_2021 and the “Fungal Pigments” printed book edition of 134 pages https://www.mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/570. ISBN 978-3-03842-787-2 (Pbk); ISBN 978-3-03842-788-9 (PDF), https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03842-788-9. The time has come to re-open a new edition entitled ‘Fungal Pigments, New Trends towards Industrial Production’ which will present the latest scientific advances in this field.

With the impact of globalization on research trends, the search for healthier lifestyles, the increasing public demand for natural, organic, and ‘clean labeled’ products, as well as the growing global market for natural colorants in economically fast-growing countries all over the world, filamentous fungi have started to be investigated as readily available sources of chemically diverse pigments and colorants. For all these reasons, this Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi will highlight exciting findings, which may pave the way for alternative and/or additional biotechnological processes for industrial applications of fungal pigments and colorants. Research papers and reviews on fungal biodiversity from terrestrial and marine origins are welcome, bringing new elements about fungi as potential sources of well-known carotenoid pigments (e.g., beta-carotene, lycopene) and other specific pigmented polyketide molecules, such as Monascus and Monascus-like azaphilones, which are yet not known to be biosynthesized by any other organisms, such as higher plants. These polyketide pigments also include promising and unexplored hydroxy-anthraquinoid colorants from Ascomycetous species. The investigation of biosynthetic pathways of the carotenoids and polyketide-derivative colored molecules (i.e., azaphilones, hydroxyanthraquinones, and naphthoquinones) in pigment-producing fungal species is of interest. Contributions on alternative greener extraction processes of fungal colored compounds, along with current industrial applications, description of their limits, and further opportunities for the use of fungal pigments in the beverage, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile, and painting areas will also be part of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Laurent Dufossé
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5552 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Identification of Pigment-Producing Endophytic Fungi from the Amazonian Species Fridericia chica
by Dorothy Ívila de Melo Pereira, Raiana Silveira Gurgel, Anne Terezinha Fernandes de Souza, Rosiane Rodrigues Matias, Lucas de Souza Falcão, Francisco Celio Maia Chaves, Gilvan Ferreira da Silva, José Gregorio Martínez, Rudi Emerson de Lima Procópio, Cleiton Fantin and Patrícia Melchionna Albuquerque
J. Fungi 2024, 10(1), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10010077 - 19 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1393
Abstract
Pigments of fungal origin have aroused increasing interest in the food dye and cosmetic industries since the global demand for natural dyes has grown. Endophytic microorganisms are a source of bioactive compounds, and Amazonian plant species can harbor fungi with a wide range [...] Read more.
Pigments of fungal origin have aroused increasing interest in the food dye and cosmetic industries since the global demand for natural dyes has grown. Endophytic microorganisms are a source of bioactive compounds, and Amazonian plant species can harbor fungi with a wide range of biotechnological applications. Popularly known in Brazil as crajiru, Fridericia chica is a medicinal plant that produces a red pigment. In this study, a total of 121 fungi were isolated in potato dextrose agar from three plants. We identified nine pigment-producing endophytic fungi isolated from branches and leaves of F. chica. The isolates that showed pigment production in solid media were molecularly identified via multilocus analysis as Aspergillus welwitschiae, A. sydowii, Curvularia sp., Diaporthe cerradensis (two strains), Hypoxylon investiens, Neoscytalidium sp. (two strains) and Penicillium rubens. These isolates were subjected to submerged fermentation in two culture media to obtain metabolic extracts. The extracts obtained were analyzed in terms of their absorbance between 400 and 700 nm. The pigmented extract produced by H. investiens in medium containing yeast extract showed maximum absorbance in the red absorption range (UA700 = 0.550) and significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. This isolate can thus be considered a new source of extracellular pigment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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12 pages, 1061 KiB  
Article
Improvement of DOPA-Melanin Production by Aspergillus nidulans Using Eco-Friendly and Inexpensive Substrates
by Beatriz Silva Campanhol, Beatriz Dias Ribeiro, Fernando Casellato, Kelly Johana Dussán Medina and Sandra Regina Pombeiro Sponchiado
J. Fungi 2023, 9(7), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9070714 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1106
Abstract
Fungal pigments, including melanin, are recognized as promising materials for biomedical, environmental, and technological applications. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that the DOPA-melanin produced by the MEL1 mutant of Aspergillus nidulans exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities without any cytotoxic or mutagenic [...] Read more.
Fungal pigments, including melanin, are recognized as promising materials for biomedical, environmental, and technological applications. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that the DOPA-melanin produced by the MEL1 mutant of Aspergillus nidulans exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities without any cytotoxic or mutagenic effects, suggesting its potential use in pharmaceuticals. In order to increase the yield of this pigment and reduce the costs of its large-scale production, the present study aimed to evaluate agro-industrial by-products, sugarcane molasses, vinasse, and corn steep liquor as inexpensive substrates for fungal growth using experimental design methodology. According to the results obtained, the optimal composition of the culture medium was 0.81% (v/v) vinasse and 1.62% (w/v) glucose, which promoted a greater production of melanin (225.39 ± 4.52 mg g−1 of biomass), representing a 2.25-fold increase compared with the condition before optimization (100.32 mg.g−1 of biomass). Considering the amount of biomass obtained in the optimized condition, it was possible to obtain a total melanin production of 1 g L−1. Therefore, this formulation of a less complex and low-cost culture medium composition makes the large-scale process economically viable for future biotechnological applications of melanin produced by A. nidulans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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Review

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23 pages, 2433 KiB  
Review
The Enigmatic World of Fungal Melanin: A Comprehensive Review
by Malika Suthar, Laurent Dufossé and Sanjay K. Singh
J. Fungi 2023, 9(9), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9090891 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2533
Abstract
Synthetic dyes are generally not safe for human health or the environment, leading to the continuous search and growing demand for natural pigments that are considered safer, biodegrade more easily, and are environmentally beneficial. Among micro-organisms, fungi represent an emerging source of pigments [...] Read more.
Synthetic dyes are generally not safe for human health or the environment, leading to the continuous search and growing demand for natural pigments that are considered safer, biodegrade more easily, and are environmentally beneficial. Among micro-organisms, fungi represent an emerging source of pigments due to their many benefits; therefore, they are readily viable on an industrial scale. Among all the bioactive pigments produced by fungi, melanin is an enigmatic, multifunctional pigment that has been studied for more than 150 years. This dark pigment, which is produced via the oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds, has been investigated for its potential to protect life from all kingdoms, including fungi, from biotic and abiotic stresses. Over time, the research on fungal melanin has attracted a significant amount of scientific interest due to melanin’s distinct biological activities and multifarious functionality, which is well-documented in the literature and could possibly be utilized. This review surveys the literature and summarizes the current discourse, presenting an up-to-date account of the research performed on fungal melanin that encompasses its types, the factors influencing its bioactivity, the optimization of fermentation conditions to enhance its sustainable production, its biosynthetic pathways, and its extraction, as well as biochemical characterization techniques and the potential uses of melanin in a wide range of applications in various industries. A massive scope of work remains to circumvent the obstacles to obtaining melanin from fungi and exploring its future prospects in a diverse range of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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29 pages, 1159 KiB  
Review
Industrially Important Fungal Carotenoids: Advancements in Biotechnological Production and Extraction
by Tahira Naz, Samee Ullah, Yusuf Nazir, Shaoqi Li, Bushra Iqbal, Qing Liu, Hassan Mohamed and Yuanda Song
J. Fungi 2023, 9(5), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9050578 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2510
Abstract
Carotenoids are lipid-soluble compounds that are present in nature, including plants and microorganisms such as fungi, certain bacteria, and algae. In fungi, they are widely present in almost all taxonomic classifications. Fungal carotenoids have gained special attention due to their biochemistry and the [...] Read more.
Carotenoids are lipid-soluble compounds that are present in nature, including plants and microorganisms such as fungi, certain bacteria, and algae. In fungi, they are widely present in almost all taxonomic classifications. Fungal carotenoids have gained special attention due to their biochemistry and the genetics of their synthetic pathway. The antioxidant potential of carotenoids may help fungi survive longer in their natural environment. Carotenoids may be produced in greater quantities using biotechnological methods than by chemical synthesis or plant extraction. The initial focus of this review is on industrially important carotenoids in the most advanced fungal and yeast strains, with a brief description of their taxonomic classification. Biotechnology has long been regarded as the most suitable alternative way of producing natural pigment from microbes due to their immense capacity to accumulate these pigments. So, this review mainly presents the recent progress in the genetic modification of native and non-native producers to modify the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway for enhanced carotenoid production, as well as factors affecting carotenoid biosynthesis in fungal strains and yeast, and proposes various extraction methods to obtain high yields of carotenoids in an attempt to find suitable greener extraction methods. Finally, a brief description of the challenges regarding the commercialization of these fungal carotenoids and the solution is also given. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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28 pages, 2402 KiB  
Review
Fungal Pigments: Carotenoids, Riboflavin, and Polyketides with Diverse Applications
by Maria Afroz Toma, Md. Hasibur Rahman, Md. Saydar Rahman, Mohammad Arif, K. H. M. Nazmul Hussain Nazir and Laurent Dufossé
J. Fungi 2023, 9(4), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9040454 - 07 Apr 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6529
Abstract
Natural pigments and colorants have seen a substantial increase in use over the last few decades due to their eco-friendly and safe properties. Currently, customer preferences for more natural products are driving the substitution of natural pigments for synthetic colorants. Filamentous fungi, particularly [...] Read more.
Natural pigments and colorants have seen a substantial increase in use over the last few decades due to their eco-friendly and safe properties. Currently, customer preferences for more natural products are driving the substitution of natural pigments for synthetic colorants. Filamentous fungi, particularly ascomycetous fungi (Monascus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus), have been shown to produce secondary metabolites containing a wide variety of pigments, including β-carotene, melanins, azaphilones, quinones, flavins, ankaflavin, monascin, anthraquinone, and naphthoquinone. These pigments produce a variety of colors and tints, including yellow, orange, red, green, purple, brown, and blue. Additionally, these pigments have a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiproliferative activities. This review provides an in-depth overview of fungi gathered from diverse sources and lists several probable fungi capable of producing a variety of color hues. The second section discusses how to classify coloring compounds according to their chemical structure, characteristics, biosynthetic processes, application, and present state. Once again, we investigate the possibility of employing fungal polyketide pigments as food coloring, as well as the toxicity and carcinogenicity of particular pigments. This review explores how advanced technologies such as metabolic engineering and nanotechnology can be employed to overcome obstacles associated with the manufacture of mycotoxin-free, food-grade fungal pigments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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25 pages, 2405 KiB  
Review
Production of Fungal Pigments: Molecular Processes and Their Applications
by Lan Lin and Jianping Xu
J. Fungi 2023, 9(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9010044 - 28 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5816
Abstract
Due to the negative environmental and health effects of synthetic colorants, pigments of natural origins of plants and microbes constitute an abundant source for the food, cosmetic, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. The demands for natural alternatives, which involve natural colorants and natural biological [...] Read more.
Due to the negative environmental and health effects of synthetic colorants, pigments of natural origins of plants and microbes constitute an abundant source for the food, cosmetic, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. The demands for natural alternatives, which involve natural colorants and natural biological processes for their production, have been growing rapidly in recent decades. Fungi contain some of the most prolific pigment producers, and they excel in bioavailability, yield, cost-effectiveness, and ease of large-scale cell culture as well as downstream processing. In contrast, pigments from plants are often limited by seasonal and geographic factors. Here, we delineate the taxonomy of pigmented fungi and fungal pigments, with a focus on the biosynthesis of four major categories of pigments: carotenoids, melanins, polyketides, and azaphilones. The molecular mechanisms and metabolic bases governing fungal pigment biosynthesis are discussed. Furthermore, we summarize the environmental factors that are known to impact the synthesis of different fungal pigments. Most of the environmental factors that enhance fungal pigment production are related to stresses. Finally, we highlight the challenges facing fungal pigment utilization and future trends of fungal pigment development. This integrated review will facilitate further exploitations of pigmented fungi and fungal pigments for broad applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Pigments 3.0)
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