Bioactivity evaluation of Streptomyces Pigments from Arauca and Guaviare rivers with potential in the cosmetic Industry

Abstract

Personal care is one of the essential activities for human beings today. Cosmetics are mixtures of multiple ingredients, the purpose of which is to provide a benefit on the skin. This industry has a turnover of more than 429.8 million annually and a growing trend of 4.6%. This behavior has led to the inclusion of a new segment known as natural cosmetics, whose purpose is to promote the use of natural and more environmentally friendly ingredients. One of the most controversial ingredients in cosmetics is synthetic dyes and pigments. These compounds have been exposed in the scientific community with great concern for contributing to the generation of free radicals, their high content of heavy metals, and being precursors of hormonal disorders and other degenerative diseases. Consequently, the search for more eco-friendly and healthier pigment sources that are easy to handle and feasible in industrial production has been encouraged. One promising source of natural pigments is from microorganisms. The most representative genus of this type of secondary metabolite is Streptomyces. These actinomycetes are of great interest to the many biotechnological products currently marketed worldwide. This research aimed to evaluate the bioactivities (antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antiinflammatory, tyrosinase inhibition, and anti-acne activity) of Streptomyces strains from Colombian rivers that showed coloration in culture and antifungal activity in other studies. Additionally, identify which variables can be optimized in the bioproduction of the pigment, and how its bioactivity behaves, to validate whether this pigment can be considered as a possible raw material for the cosmetic industry.