A prodigiosin/surfactin nanobiotechnological formulation: Development and characterization

There is a growing global interest in developing greener and safer pharmaceutical formulations that minimize environmental impact. In this study, we present a biotechnological nanoformulation combining prodigiosin (PG), a water-insoluble, microbially derived red pigment with multifunctional bioactivity and surfactin (SF), a lipopeptide biosurfactant known for its diverse surface-active properties. PG was produced by Serratia marcescens, spectrally characterized, and subsequently incorporated into preformed SF nanomicelles (nSF) via thermal sonication at 50 °C, yielding PG-loaded nanomicelles (nPG/SF). Physicochemical characterization of nPG/SF revealed spherical nanostructures with an average diameter of 227 ± 18.95 nm, a moderate polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.59 ± 0.17, a negative surface charge (-27.1 ± 0.97 mV), high entrapment efficiency (98%), and physical stability at 4 °C for at least 14 days. In terms of bioactivity, nanomicellization appeared to enhance the antibacterial effect of PG against Staphylococcus aureus and a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while significantly (p < 0.05) improving SF's cytotoxic activity against two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Furthermore, using nSF as a carrier slightly increased PG’s anticancer activity, suggesting the potential for dose reduction of both PG and SF. Overall, this study provides a proof of concept for an eco-friendly, biosurfactant-based nanomicellar PG formulation with improved solubility, stability, and bioactivity, supporting its potential in pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. Further investigations are warranted to validate and extend these findings.