title: Enhancement of prodigiosin production by Serratia marcescens TKU011 and its insecticidal activity relative to food colorants.
abstract: Prodigiosin (PG) has been reported to have various biological activities. With the aim of increasing Serratia marcescens TKU011 PG production on squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium, the effects of phosphate and ferrous ion supplementation, autoclave treatment, and aeration were studied. Autoclave treatment showed positive results for PG productivity (2.48 mg/mL), which increased 2.5-fold when the organism was incubated in 50 mL of 40-min autoclaved medium in a baffle-based flask (250 mL) containing 1.5% SPP at 30 °C for 1 day and then at 25 °C for 2 additional days. Furthermore, the use of pigments including PG and the food colorants Allura Red AC (R40) and Tartrazine (Y4) as insecticides was also investigated. The lethal concentrations causing 50% Drosophila larval mortality (LC50) of PG, Y4, and R40 using a 5-d exposure period were 230, 449, and 30000 ppm, respectively. The results indicated that the biopigment PG and the food colorant Y4 were potentially toxic to Drosophila larvae.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemistry, Tamkang Univ., New Taipei 25137, Taiwan; Life Science Development Center, Tamkang Univ., New Taipei 25137, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Wen
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Shin-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yen-Chern
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yue-Horng
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: San-Lang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004330:Drosophila / Q000187:drug effects; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D011353:Prodigiosin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000378:metabolism*; D013645:Tartrazine / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D007306:Insecticides; C005915:Allura Red AC Dye; D013645:Tartrazine; D011353:Prodigiosin
keywords: Allura Red AC; Serratia marcescens; Tartrazine; insecticidal activity; prodigiosin; squid pen