Qualitative and Quantitative Studies on Biopigment Producing Algal Regime from Marine Water Resources of Sundarban Region

Abstract

The current scientific studies have shown that extensive quantities of synthetic pigments are used worldwide in diverse industries. Synthetic pigments have shown enormous toxicity issues compared to natural colorants and dyes in current industrial usage. Diverse microbial communities, including fungi, bacteria, archaea, and yeast are current biopigment producers. However, the aforementioned biopigments are expensive, least efficient, and less eco-friendly to attain industrial sustainability. Thus, algae-based bio pigments are one of the best natural resources to meet today’s challenges. Algal pigments increase the product’s marketability and carry multiple therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective actions. These multidimensional qualities of algal pigments have piqued the interest of the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries resulting in most potential implementation. Thus, a paradigm shift requires identifying potential algal communities having a higher biopigment-producing ability for future manufacturing and commercialization as a sustainable way forward. Hence, the current study has been designed for effective isolation and screening of algal isolates (i.e. DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, DS5) from a different region of sundarban water resources concerning the investigation of algal pigments (i.e. chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b and carotenoid). In a nutshell, the current study shows that DS2 isolate produces a significant quantity of carotenoid (9.729 mg/g DCW), chlorophyll a (7.872 mg/g DCW), and chlorophyll b (7.176 mg/g DCW) amongst all isolates. Hence, the present study reveals that DS2 algal isolates might be a potential predecessor of biopigment production, having pivotal applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries in the near future.