Vioxanthin
A brownish-yellow pigment first found in a fungus that can signal food contamination
No single value: Vioxanthin is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, yellow.
Vioxanthin is a brownish-yellow pigment first identified in 1966 from the fungus Trichophyton violaceum. It is a mycotoxin, later found in other fungi such as Penicillium and Aspergillus, and its presence in food can indicate fungal contamination.
- First isolated from Trichophyton violaceum in 1966
- Brownish-yellow pigment found in several fungi
- Presence in food signals fungal contamination
- Can be made by laboratory synthesis
What colour is Vioxanthin?
Vioxanthin is a pigment with a brownish-yellow colour. It was first found in the fungus Trichophyton violaceum and later in other fungi such as Penicillium and Aspergillus. Its colour sets it apart as a marker for fungal presence, especially in food, where it can be used to detect contamination.
Where does Vioxanthin come from?
The name vioxanthin comes from its source fungus, Trichophyton violaceum, and its yellowish colour. It was first isolated and described in 1966. Since then, it has been identified in several other fungi, showing that it is not unique to its original source.
How is Vioxanthin made?
Vioxanthin occurs naturally in certain fungi. It can also be made in the laboratory, as researchers have reported a synthetic method. The pigment is found as a natural product in fungal cultures, but its chemical structure allows for laboratory synthesis as well.
Where Vioxanthin is used
Vioxanthin is not used as a dye or pigment in art or industry. Its main importance is as a marker in food safety, since its presence can show that food has been contaminated by fungi such as Penicillium or Aspergillus.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Vioxanthin
Vioxanthin is described as brownish-yellow. The sources do not mention closely related shades or variants, but it is part of a group of fungal pigments that can range in colour.
Questions people ask about Vioxanthin
What colour is vioxanthin?
Vioxanthin is a brownish-yellow pigment. It was first described as such when isolated from fungi.
Where does the name vioxanthin come from?
The name vioxanthin is linked to its source fungus, Trichophyton violaceum, and its yellowish colour.
Where is vioxanthin found?
Vioxanthin is found in fungi such as Trichophyton violaceum, Penicillium, and Aspergillus.
Why is vioxanthin important?
It is used as a marker for fungal contamination in food, since its presence shows certain fungi are present.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Vioxanthin", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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