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Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Application of Membrane and Cell Wall Selective Fluorescent Dyes for Live-Cell Imaging of Filamentous Fungi
Published on: November 28, 2019
Colors of life: a review on fungal pigments
Haritha Meruvu1,2,3, Júlio César Dos Santos4
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Andhra University College of Engineering - AU North Campus, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India.
Abstract:
Colorants find social and commercial applications in cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and other industrial sectors. Among the available options, chemically synthesized colorants are popular due to their low-cost and flexible production modes, but health and environmental concerns have encouraged the valorization of biopigments that are natural and ecofriendly. Among natural biopigment producers, microorganisms are noteworthy for their all-seasonal production of stable and low-cost pigments with high-yield titers. Fungi are paramount sources of natural pigments. They occupy diverse ecological niches with adaptive metabolisms and biocatalytic pathways, making them entities with an industrial interest. Industrially important biopigments like carotenoids, melanins, riboflavins, azaphilones, and quinones produced by filamentous fungi are described within the context of this review. Most recent information about fungal pigment characteristics, biochemical production routes and pathways, potential applications, limitations, and future research perspectives are described.
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