CHARACTERIZATION OF CAROTENOID PIGMENTS FROM BACTERIAL SYMBIONTS OF SEAGRASS Thalassia hemprichii

Abstract

Carotenoids are pigments that can be used in various applications including cosmetics and precursor of
vitamins A. Carotenoids are mostly found in higher plant leaves, fruit, and bacteria. Marine bacteria
associated with seagrass Thalassia hemprichii collected from Menjangan Kecil Waters, Karimunjawa
Islands were screened to produce the pigment and has allowed the use of these microrganism as an
environmental friendly alternative source of new natural pigment. The isolation of bacterial symbionts on
Zobell 2216E medium from seagrass Thalassia hemprichii resulted in 20 isolates of which 8 bacterial
symbionts have produced pigments but only one bacterium positively synthesize carotenoids. Initial analysis
with atomic absorption spectrophotometric method revealed that the wave lengt of bacterial pigment were in
the range of 300-600 nm, which are categorized that within the group of carotenoid pigments. From the
results of molecular identification by 16S rDNA method, it was shown that bacterium TH8 was closely
related to Bacillus licheniformis with 98% homology value.