MICROBLU: production and characterization of microbial bluish biocolorants

• Grant number: 23/06147-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Juliano Lemos Bicas
• Grantee: Juliano Lemos Bicas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Campinas
• Associated researchers: Taicia Pacheco Fill

Abstract

The demand for natural ingredients and additives for industrial application has been growing as the industry moves towards sustainable and healthier solutions to technological needs. Among the natural additives, natural colorants are particularly noteworthy as they are aligned to the clean label claims, although they can suffer from the lack of stability under processing or storage conditions. Therefore, the search for more stable and toxicologically safe natural colorants has grown, especially the blueish compounds, which are rare in nature and generally unstable in processing conditions. Microbial pigments are usually more stable and more competitive compared to those from other natural sources, in addition to presenting potential bioactivities. Phycocyanin produced by Arthrospira platensis is one of the few examples of natural blue colorants with commercial applications. Other blue coloring substances have been investigated by our research group, such as a fungal biomass containing bikaverin (red), which can be converted into a blue biomass after thermal treatment, and violacein. Moreover, we have benn investigating the extremophile Antarctomyces pellizariae, as it produces an unidentified blue pigment in low temperatures. This project aims to innovate and improve the bioprocesses as well as advance the chemical characterization studies of these pigments with potential applications in food, cosmetics and health, contributing to new sustainable and feasible processes to produce new additives to industry. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ISHIMOTO, CAROLINE KIE; PAULINO, BRUNO NICOLAU; NERI-NUMA, IRAMAIA ANGELICA; BICAS, JULIANO LEMOS. The blue palette of life: A comprehensive review of natural bluish colorants with potential commercial applications. Food Research International, v. 196, p. 39-pg., 2024-09-27. (23/06147-5)

SCARAMUSSA, SIMONE APARECIDA DE LIMA; ISHIMOTO, CAROLINE KIE; BICAS, JULIANO LEMOS. Production, downstream, stability, bioactivities, and applications studies of violacein and related compounds. WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 41, n. 7, p. 37-pg., 2025-07-01. (24/02207-6, 23/06147-5)

ISHIMOTO, CAROLINE KIE; LIMA, RODOLFO DANTAS; SCARAMUSSA, SIMONE APARECIDA DE LIMA; FILL, TAICIA PACHECO; OLIVEIRA, VALERIA MAIA; BICAS, JULIANO LEMOS. Improving the medium composition for the production of the natural blue-violet pigment violacein by a new Janthinobacterium sp. isolate. Letters in Applied Microbiology, v. 77, n. 10, p. 8-pg., 2024-10-08. (22/02992-0, 23/06147-5, 24/02207-6)