Study on Physicochemical Properties of Red Pigment Produced by a Strain of Serratia sp

[Objective] The study was to lay a foundation for structural analysis,development and utilization of red pigment produced by Serratia sp..[Method] The red pigment was extracted from the culture of a strain of Serratia sp.which could product red pigment,and the compositions of the pigment were analyzed by thin layer chromatography,mass spectrometry and spectral scanning.The effects of temperature,light,pH value,metal ions,oxidant and reducing agent on the stability of the pigment were studied.[Result] The pigment mainly contained 3 kinds of composition which molecular weights were 393.5,324.0 and 754.0 resp..The alcohol solution of the extracted pigment had the characteristic absorption peak at 535 and 469 nm.The pigment was stable to temperature,light and pH value of 3-11,but was sensitive to light.Mg2+ and Mn2+ had protective effect on the pigment,K+ had continuously hyperchromic effect on it and many other kinds of metal ions had destructive effects on it.The antioxidation and anti-reductive of the pigment was good.[Conclusion] The red pigment produced by Serratia sp.was preliminarily considered to be prodigiosin.