ABSTRACT
In the food and beverage sector, antioxidants are generally utilized as preservatives. However, the exponential growth in the world’s population is expected to increase the market for antioxidants in other sectors, including the pharmaceutical and animal feed industries. Antioxidants help prevent cell damage by scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Numerous bioactive substances with antioxidant properties are produced by microorganisms, and microbe-based antioxidants are biodegradable, nontoxic, and noncarcinogenic, in contrast with synthetic antioxidants. Microbes generate a vast range of secondary metabolites including carotenoids, flavins, melanins, quinines, monascin, and violacein that have a huge influence on society and are widely exploited in a variety of industrial applications: Pigments derived from microorganisms have medicinal, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties; they are also suitable for usage as food additives, antioxidants, color enhancers, and functional food components. This review will summarize current research on the antioxidant effects of pigments derived from microorganisms.
