A preliminary study on the anti neoplastic effect of prodigiosin produced by Serratia marcescens isolated from termite (Odontotermes formosanus)

Prodigiosin, a natural red pigment produced by a variety of bacteria has been reported to have antibacterial, antifungal, anti malarial and anti neoplastic activity. In this study, prodigiosin produced by Serratia marcescens has been tested for its in vitro anti neoplastic activity. S. marcescens was isolated from termite gut, identified and characterized by morphology, Gram's staining, biochemical and carbohydrate fermentation tests. S. marcescens produced red to dark pigment on nutrient agar. Prodigiosin produced by S. marcescens was purified by thin layer chromatography. The antineoplastic effect of the pigment was assessed in cancerous cell lines such as HeLa and HEp2 by MTT assay and Comet assay. Cytotoxic properties of prodigiosin pigment was evaluated by using Vero cells.