Extraction of Pigments from Rhodotorula Species of Dairy Environment

Abstract

Carotenoids are an attractive class of tetraterpenoid pigmented compounds naturally produced by diverse organisms including plants and numerous fungi and bacteria. Colour of the commercial products play a vital role to attract the consumers and also represent the quality of the products. Rhodotorula minuta RAI 3 , R. acheniorum RC 2 , R. minuta RY 1 and Rhodotorula sp RA 2 , isolated from dairy environment and further characterized were selected for pigment production. Out of the three Rhodotorula isolates, R. minuta RAI 3 showed high yield of carotenoid pigment (4.412 μg/g of dry cell mass) in coconut water as natural medium compared to semi synthetic medium Malt Yeast Extract broth (MYEB) and solid state medium rice on 6 th day of incubation at 30 °C. R. minuta RAI 3 recorded high yield of both extra and intracellular pigment (2.877 and 4.412 μg/g of dry cell mass).