Production of microbial pigments utilizing agro-industrial waste: a review

• Agro-industrial waste generation.
• Microbial sources for the production of biopigments.
• Bio-utilization of agro-industrial waste for microbial pigment production.
• Applications of microbial pigments.

Different industries related to the agriculture sector generate a lot of waste in the form of peels, seeds, whey, waste liquid, molasses, bagasse, and so on. The generated waste is not only biodegradable in nature but also rich in nutrient components (carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, minerals, vitamins, etc.) depending upon source. In the present scenario, researchers have shown a great interest in the processing of waste for fermentation processes in the development of value-added products like microbial pigments. Utilization of waste not only eliminates the disposal problems but also solves the problem of environment pollution. Moreover, the development of fermentation derived food grade pigments needs high capital investment requirements in terms of media components. Thus, effective use of cheaply available agro-industrial residues for production of microbial pigments can make the process cost effective and environment friendly. This review is mainly focused on the utilization of agro-industrial residues for the production of microbial pigments and their major applications.