Prodigiosin: a fascinating and the most versatile bioactive pigment with diverse applications

Synthetic pigments pose toxicity and harmful impacts on humans and environment. In this context, the exploration of microbial sources for producing natural pigments that are useful in various industrial applications is gaining prominence. Microbial pigments give nature its color and are a novel class of chemicals with diversity of biological functions including antibacterial, anti-mycotic, antimalarial, immuno-modulating, and anticancer properties. Microbial pigment sources have been acknowledged to be extraordinarily valuable and are in great demand, attributable to their varied uses in the food and cosmetic industries, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. Prodigiosin has recently been suggested as the most potential choice and promising biomolecule with multifaceted applications, including antimicrobial, immunosuppressive, antimalarial, antineoplastic, and anticancer properties. Prodigiosin has recently received a renewed interest owing to its reported characteristics of having profound biological activities. The focus of this review article is the most important qualities and prospective uses of prodigiosin pigment.