Recent Findings in Azaphilone Pigments

• Published in: Journal of fungi (Basel) Vol. 7; no. 7; p. 541
• Main Authors: Pimenta, Lúcia P S, Gomes, Dhionne C, Cardoso, Patrícia G, Takahashi, Jacqueline A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: azaphilones; biotechnological tools; Carotenoids; Chemistry; Color; Consumers; COVID-19; Cultivation techniques; filamentous fungi; Food products; Fungi; Genetic engineering; natural pigments; Natural products; non-mycotoxigenic strains; Pigments; production; Regulatory agencies; Review; Thermal stability; Vegetarianism; filamentous fungi; azaphilones; production; non-mycotoxigenic strains; biotechnological tools; natural pigments; regulatory issues
• ISSN: 2309-608X; 2309-608X
• DOI: 10.3390/jof7070541

Filamentous fungi are known to biosynthesize an extraordinary range of azaphilones pigments with structural diversity and advantages over vegetal-derived colored natural products such agile and simple cultivation in the lab, acceptance of low-cost substrates, speed yield improvement, and ease of downstream processing. Modern genetic engineering allows industrial production, providing pigments with higher thermostability, water-solubility, and promising bioactivities combined with ecological functions. This review, covering the literature from 2020 onwards, focuses on the state-of-the-art of azaphilone dyes, the global market scenario, new compounds isolated in the period with respective biological activities, and biosynthetic pathways. Furthermore, we discussed the innovations of azaphilone cultivation and extraction techniques, as well as in yield improvement and scale-up. Potential applications in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and textile industries were also explored.