International Journal of Applied Research in Natural Products Vol. 7 (2), pp. 32-38. Directory of Open Access Journals ©2008-2014. IJARNP-HS Publication ___________________ *Corresponding Author.  galba_takaki@yahoo.com.br  +55 8121194017 Available online http.//www.ijarnp.org Original Research Production and toxicological evaluation of Prodigiosin from Serratia marcescens UCP/WFCC1549 on Mannitol Solid Medium Lapenda Lins JC 1 , Maciel CCS 2 , Xavier HS 3 , Alves da Silva CA 4 , Campos-Takaki GM 4* 1 Mestrado em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife-PE, Brasil 2 Centro de Ciências da Saúde, UNIFOR , Universidade de Fortaleza , 60811-905 Fortaleza, Ceará 3 Departmentode Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco,50740-521 Recife-PE, Brasil 4 Núcleo de Pesquisas emCiências Ambientais e Biotecnologia, Coordenação Geral de Pesquisa, Pró-reitoria Acadêmica, Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, 50050-590 Recife, PE, Brasil Summary. Prodigiosins, a family of natural red pigments, were produced by a new strain of Serratia marcescens UCP/WFCC1549 using peptone-glycerol and mannitol solid media. Prodigiosin is a secondary metabolite alkaloid (5((3-methoxy-5-pyrrol-2-ylidene-pyrrol-2- ylidene)-methyl)-2-methyl-3-pentyl-1H-pyrrole) with a unique tripyrrole chemical structure, and has antimicrobial, antimalarial, antimycotic, immunomodulating, antitumor and anti-proliferative properties. The mannitol medium produced a high amount of biomass, and the red pigment was extracted by methanol and scanned at 200-700nm. The raw pigment was purified by exclusion chromatography by Sephadex LH-20, resulting in 96 fractions. The isolated red pigment was analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (GC-MS), its molecular weight was 323.4Da, and it was identified as Prodigiosin. Cytotoxic activity using Artemia salina showed LC 50 = 78.33 μg/mL. Industrial relevance. Prodigiosin produced by Serratia marcescens is a promising drug owing to its reported characteristics of having antifungal, anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-cancer and immunosuppressive properties. Of these, its immunosuppressive and anti-cancer activities have received greatest attention because they have clinical promise. From the point of view of industrial production, we obtained a suitable medium so as simultaneously to enhance the growth of Serratia marcescens UCP/WFCC1549 and production of the pigment. The red purified fraction was identified as Prodigiosin and is a promising molecule owing to its low toxicity and potential for therapeutic application in the future. Keywords. cytotoxicity; mannitol medium; mass spectrometry; phytotoxicity; Serratia marcescens; Prodigiosin. INTRODUCTION Various bacteria possess a huge ability to produce biopigments that can be synthesized to produce medicinally important products. Red pigment produced as a secondary metabolite alkaloid with a unique tripyrrole chemical structure has been isolated from a few species such as Serratia, Pseudomonas and Streptomyces [Bennett and Bentley, 2000; Giri et al., 2004; Song et al. 2006]. Serratia marcescens, Prodigiosin is characterized as (5( 3(methoxy-5 pyrrol-2-ylidene-pyrrol-2-ylidene)-methyl)-2- methyl-3-pentyl-1H-pyrrole) as an alkaloid with a unique tripyrrole chemical structure [Isaka et al., 2002; Furstner, 2003; Kim et al., 2008a; Lee et al., 2011; Ryazantseva, Andreyeva, 2014]. However, Prodigiosin appears only in the later stages of bacterial growth, while other microorganisms such as Zooshikella rubidus, Vibrio sp., Streptomyces griseoviridis, and Hahella chejuensis are described as Prodigiosin producers [Kawasaki et al. 2008; Kim et al. 2008b; Borić et al.2011; Lee et al. 2011]. Prodigiosin belongs to the family of prodigionines that is characterized by having a tripyrrol linear structure, and called Prodigiosinide, which is common to all the members of this family such as (? apagar Prodigiosin porque já é citado – 1a. palavra desta sentença,) CycloProdigiosin, MetacycloProdigiosin, Dipyrrolildipirromethan, all odf which have a common pyrrolyldipyrrolylmethene skeleton. The chemical structure of Prodigiosin comprises three rings which form a pyrrolylpyrromethane skeleton with a C-4 methoxy group, with the molecular formula C 20 H 25 N 3 O [Harris et al., 2004; Song et al., 2006; Williamson et al., 2006a; 2006b] (Figure 1). Macrocyclic prodiginines appear to be derived from undecylprodiginine by oxidative cyclisation [Azuma et al., 2000; Cerdeño et al., 2001; Azambuja, Garcia, 2004; Fineran et al., 2005; Baldino et al., 2006; Song et al., 2006]. Chromogenic biotypes from the natural environment have rarely resulted