# Isolation, identification, and production optimization of natural functional pigments produced by Talaromyces atroroseus LWT-1

## TL;DR

This study isolates and identifies pigments from a fungus, Talaromyces atroroseus LWT-1, and optimizes their production for potential use in various applications.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the isolation and identification of new pigments with cytotoxic activity and the optimization of their production conditions.

## Key findings

- Talaroconvolutins A and B, and talarofuranone were identified as the main pigments from T. atroroseus LWT-1.
- Talaroconvolutin A showed cytotoxic activity against cancer cells but was non-toxic to healthy cells.
- Optimal fermentation conditions increased pigment yield significantly.

## Abstract

Natural microbial pigments are gaining attention for their potential in various applications due to their safety and sustainability. In this study, we isolated a high-yielding pigment-producing fungus identified as Talaromyces atroroseus LWT-1. The predominant pigment compounds were isolated from the culture extract of T. atroroseus LWT-1 through various chromatographic methods and identified as talaroconvolutins A (1) and B (2), and talarofuranone (3). Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited cytotoxic activity against MCF7, Huh-7, and H446 lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.68 ± 0.09 to 4.19 ± 0.71 μM. In contrast, compound 1 was non-toxic to BEAS-2B cells and significantly promoted their proliferation. To optimize pigments yield, we conducted a series of single-factor and orthogonal experiments to determine the optimal fermentation conditions. The optimal conditions were determined to be: SDA culture medium, 32°C incubation temperature, 170 rpm shaking speed, 60 mL working volume in a 250 mL flask, and a culture duration of 120 h.