Colors of life: a review on fungal pigments

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.

Automated summary

Colorants have diverse applications in cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and other industries. Chemically synthesized colorants are popular due to their low-cost and flexible production, but there is increasing interest in natural and eco-friendly biopigments. Microorganisms, especially fungi, are important producers of stable and low-cost pigments with high yields, making them industrial entities of interest. Fungi, with their adaptive metabolisms and biocatalytic pathways, are paramount sources of natural pigments like carotenoids, melanins, riboflavins, azaphilones, and quinones, with potential applications in various industries.