R. SREEDEVI AND B. V. PRADEEP*
Abstract
The crude pigment from Aspergillus terreus was evaluated for its cytotoxicity using the brine shrimp lethality assay and the total antioxidant activity using the phosphor molybdenum (PM) assay and ferric ion reducing anti oxidant power (FRAP) assay. Intracellular red coloured pigment was isolated from Aspergillus terreus and was mass cultured using submerged culture method. The crude pigment was extracted using ethyl acetate as the solvent. Twenty active shrimps of Artemia salina was added to varying concentrations of the crude pigment sample (11.11mg/mL-0.043mg/mL) in natural sea water; and the surviving shrimps were counted after 24hrs. The LC50 of the pigment was determined using probit analysis and was found to be 0.199 mg/ mL. The pigment in the concentration range of 50-250 μg/mL has exhibited a good anti oxidant and reducing power compared with the standard ascorbic acid. The antioxidant activities increased with the increasing concentrations of the sample in a dose dependent manner. From the present study it is demonstrated that the pigment possesses a significant cytotoxic and antioxidant activity.