SAKARYA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, vol.28, no.3, pp.602-609, 2024 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Environmental pollution and population growth necessitate more efficient
production processes. Organic whey, which is a low-cost substrate for the food
industry, constitutes a promising raw material with its low cost and chemical content
for biotechnological processes. This study investigated the pigment production
capabilities of bacteria isolated from whey, an industrial waste. Among the isolated
bacteria, 4 were determined to be effective pigment producing bacteria. The pigment
was extracted from 4 isolates. Pigment characterization was performed by UV
spectrophotometer (OD470-OD580) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
(FTIR). As a result of the spectrum scanning, it was determined that all pigments
gave the maximum absorbance value in the range of 500 nm to 505 nm. In FTIR
analysis, all extracted pigments showed characteristic absorption bands of
carotenoids between 400 nm and 520 nm. The FTIR peaks obtained from 1469 cm-1
and 1726 cm-1
regions are known as the fingerprint regions of microbial pigments
for biorecolorants. When the results obtained in our study are compared with the
literature data, the absorbance values obtained show that the pigment produced is
carotenoid and its derivative