Nguyen_2025_Curr.Microbiol_83_73

The red microbial pigment - prodigiosin has attracted much attention in research due to its multiple bioactivities, which can be applied in various fields. Production prodigiosin with an eco-friendly strategy is currently an interesting and prioritized research topic. This study introduces an innovative production approach utilizing a novel, eco-friendly culture medium system that completely replaces expensive commercial nutrients with a combination of low-cost organic byproducts (shrimp shell powder and groundnut oil cake). This new approach yielded a remarkably high prodigiosin concentration (7520 mg/L) in an exceptionally short cultivation time (8 h) during large-scale fermentation. Beyond sustainable production, this research identified a novel therapeutic potential for prodigiosin in managing Alzheimer's disease via its ability to block cholinesterase enzymes, which are key targets in Alzheimer's therapy. Besides the experimental approach, computational simulations were used to predict the drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles of prodigiosin in two forms (neutral and cationic). Notably, molecular docking and DFT analysis revealed effective interactions of prodigiosin with cholinesterase enzymes, with the cationic form showing a more promising capacity for protein target interaction. This study provided scientific insights into the eco-friendly cultural medium for prodigiosin production, its anti-cholinesterase activity, and potential properties through virtual simulations.