PRODUCTION OF PIGMENTS FROM BACTERIA GROWN IN SOLID AND LIQUID PINEAPPLE WASTE

Awareness of the use of natural pigments has escalated over the years due to stringent environmental standards imposed on synthetic pigments. Natural pigments can be extracted from microorganisms, notably bacteria. However, the high cost of the growth medium hampers their large scale production. We report the extraction of two pigments, violacein and prodigiosin from Chromobacterium violaceum and Serratia marcescens, respectively, grown in liquid pineapple and solid pineapple waste. The pigments were succesfully applied for dyeing of natural and synthetic fabrics.