Cultural Characteristics and Extraction of the Fungal Pigment Phleichrome from the Phytopathogenic Fungus Cladosporium phlei

The cultural characteristics of the fungus Cladosporium phlei were assessed in order to develop an improved method for the production of the fungal pigment, phleichrome, which is an intermediate in the production of a photodynamic therapeutic agent. The growth of C. phlei, as measured by the hyphal growth rate and increase in biomass, varies significantly depending on the culture media utilized (V8 juice-based medium proved optimal for both growth rate and biomass increase). However, even on a V8 juice plate, the growth of C. phlei occurred slowly and in a limited fashion, in that the colony covered only 75% of the agar surface after more than 4 weeks of cultivation at 20℃.