The ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, has been granted an Indian patent for a novel antimicrobial booster technology. The invention, titled “A Process for Preparation of Pigment-Doped Zinc Oxide Particles,” provides a method for coating zinc oxide nanoparticles with the naturally occurring microbial pigment violacein.

Bacterial pigments are naturally occurring coloured substances produced by certain bacteria. Violacein, a violet-coloured microbial pigment produced by certain bacteria, particularly Chromobacterium violaceum, is known for its antimicrobial properties.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are also known for their antimicrobial properties. The patented process combines violacein with ZnO nanoparticles through a coating process. Under the tested conditions, the violacein-coated ZnO nanoparticles showed enhanced antimicrobial activity and reduced toxicity compared with uncoated ZnO nanoparticles. The results demonstrated approximately 3–4 times higher antimicrobial activity than the earlier material under the tested conditions.

The technology has potential applications in antimicrobial medical, biomedical and pharmaceutical formulations, and food preservation. The patented methodology represents a novel approach to enhancing the functional properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles through the use of a natural microbial pigment.

The inventors of the patented technology are Dr. Visnuvinayagam Sivam, Teena George, Dr. Murugadas Vaiyapuri, Dr. Toms Cheriath Joseph, Dr. Rangasamy Anandan, Dr. Gopalan Krishnan Sivaraman, Dr. Thangaraj Raja Swaminathan, and Dr. George Ninan.