BigPatents India

This invention describes the production of a stable yellow pigment by a simple microbial process using a mutant strain of Aspergillus carbonarius in short period of 26 – 48 hours and its extraction. Corn flour salt medium was used to produce the pigments by a batch fermentation process and ethanol was used to extract the pigment from biomass after its separation by filtration from culture broth. Based on NMR and Mass Spectroscopic analysis, the yellow colour produced was found to be a mixture of partially saturated canthaxanthin and partially saturated astaxanthin. Natural colours are gaining importance in food industries due to their safe and functional nature. Though many sources of natural pigments particularly microbial sources have been reported, high cost of their production, long fermentation period and low stability to pH and temperature are the reason for their slow growth in market. This invention obviates the above disadvantages.