Optimization of Biopigment Production by Halophilic Bacillus sp. Using Agro-industrial Wastes and Assessment of Its Antimicrobial Efficacy

Halophilic organisms are a type of extremophiles that survive in the environment with very high salt concentration. In the current study, brown pigment producing Bacillus sp was isolated from the salterns of Vemuladeevi, Andhra Pradesh, India. Further, it evaluate the potential of agro-industrial wastes of Carrot peels (CP), Pine apple peels (PP), Dry fish wastes (DFW) and Bakers waste (BW) as substrates for pigment production from Bacillus sp for reducing the production cost and examine its antimicrobial potential. The agro-industrial wastes of were used as the substrate. Among the four substrates tested, the pine apple peels has registered high amount of pigment (1.71±0.13OD Units/gram of dry fermented substrate) than others. For optimization, The production of pigment reached maximum at 37°C, basic pH 8, incubate in 120 rpm condition and 25% NaCl in all the agricultural substrates, but pine apple peels has registered the maximum compared to others in all above conditions. The result of antimicrobial activity was the pigment extract of Bacillus sp has registered the maximum inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholera and Penicillium citrinum. The results confirmed the feasibility of using Pine apple peels as a potential low cost growth medium for the large-scale cultivation of brown pigment using halophilic Bacillus sp.