Carotenes produced by alkaliphilic orange-pigmented strain of Microbacterium arborescens - AGSB isolated from coastal sand dunes

Abstract

Collections of grain positive bacteria from coastal sand dune vegetation. Ipomoea pes-caprae showed a predominance of orange pigmented colonies of Microbacterium arborescens-AGSB. The pigment was identified using a combination of UV/visible spectral data and HPLC retention time as a lycopene type carotenoid pigment with lambda max at 468 nms. These bacteria may be accumulating carotenoids as part of their responses to various environmental stresses and thus aiding their survival in this stressed habitat.