Adopt a Bacterial Pigment

This beautiful microoragnism has its name due to its rosey pink colour.

Micrococcus roseus is a Gram positive Bacteria .They are strictly aerobic .Their colonies grow in a tetrad arrangemnt .Their cell shapes are circular, approximately 1.0-1.5mm in diamter, slightly curved ,smooth and of course last but not least it is bright rosey pink .There is a growing interest in the exploration of microbial pigemnts due to the rapid growth of pigment-producing microorganisms, the inexpensive mediums, relatively easy methodology to extract pigment as well as the wide variety of colours .The pigemnt that is actually behind the rosey pink colouration is apart an important group of pigment known as Cartenoids.Cartenoids are common naturally produced by plants and microoragnism. Cartenoids belong to the chemical group known as isoprenoid polyenes are lipid-soluble .

There are 9 Cartenoid pigemnts that is responsible for the pink colouration of the Micrococcus roseus .The main Cartenoid pigment that will found in Micrococcus roseus is Canthaxanthin.Canthaxanthin composed 82,5% of the total pigmennt composition ..The pigments that make up the total pigment composition were a mixtures of cis and trans isomers.Examples of other pigements that contribute to the total pigment composition are Phoenicoxanthin and Aphla and Beta-Carotene .

The importance of replacing synthetic pigments with natural types is increasing day by day in the food industry due to the harmful effects of some synthetic pigments. Microorganisms are a major source of natural pigments, which nowadays have attracted the attention of researchers. In this study, carotenoid pigments were produced by Micrococcus roseus and Rhodotorula glutinis, and some of their biological properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated. Given the results, bacteria, especially gram-positive bacteria, had higher sensitivity to the pigments extracted from M. roseus (PEM) and R. glutinis (PER) .

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial and radio-protective properties of carotenoid pigments isolated from ultraviolet (UV)‑C resistant Micrococcus spp. The UV‑C resistant Micrococcus roseus and Micrococcus luteus were isolated from the soil samples of Savandurga hills region, Karnataka (India), and their pigments were identified as carotenoids based on spectral analysis. The UV‑protective efficacies were determined by cling‑film assay. Further, the antioxidant activities of pigments were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay, and antibacterial activities by disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays.

Canthaxanthin is a dye that is similar to the chemical that makes carrots orange. It occurs naturally and can also be made in a laboratory. People use it as medicine.

Canthaxanthin is used to reduce sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity) experienced by people who have a rare genetic disease called erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). In these people, sunlight can cause skin reactions such as rash, itch, and eczema. Canthaxanthin is also used to reduce sun sensitivity caused by certain medications and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Orobronze (canthaxanthin) is sold in Canada as a nonprescription "tanning pill." In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved tanning pills containing canthaxanthin. Nevertheless, these products seem to be readily available to people in the U.S. through mail order and tanning salons.

In foods, canthaxanthin is used as food coloring and is added to animal feed to improve the color of chicken skins, egg yolks, salmon, and trout.

In manufacturing, canthaxanthin is used in cosmetics and in medications.