PHARMACEUTICAL POTENTIAL OF FLEXIRUBIN PIGMENT FROM CHRYSEOBACTERIUM

The study was carried out to isolate and characterize pigment producing bacteria from rhizosphere soil. In our study, isolation and characterization of bacteria that produced pigments were performed using serial dilution, spread plating method followed by gram staining and various other biochemical tests (Oxidase, Catalase and IMViC tests). Our study concluded that bacteria isolated from rhizosphere soil are capable of producing pigment which is flexirubin (light orange in colour) and the bacterium belongs to the genus Chryseobacterium. After extracting the pigment, antimicrobial activity was performed, and it showed that the pigment has antimicrobial activity against both bacteria (E. coli and B. sphaericus) and fungi (Candida albicans). At 100µg/ml concentration, the pigment showed highest antioxidant activity with an absorbance of 0.116AU. The anti-inflammatory activity of the pigment was found to be highest at 1200µg/ml with an absorbance of 0.128AU.  It is found that the pigment has the ability to increase SPF property of commercially available sunscreen by 0.713%. Thus different potentials of the pigment can be applicable in various industrial (pharmaceutical, textile, food and cosmetic) purposes.