Violacein is a purple pigment extracted from bacteria, which has been reported with antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant and insecticide activities.Due to its biotechnological potential, studies have focused on the ability to synthesize this pigment from Chromobacterium violaceum, however Janthinobacterium lividum also synthesizes it.Therefore the aim of this research was to determine the optimum growth conditions of J. lividum for increasing violacein production.The pigment production was evaluated under different environmental growth conditions: stirring speed (150rpm/200rpm), light conditions (light/dark) and temperature (4 °C/30 °C).The optimal culture conditions were used to evaluate different carbon sources: tryptone and nutrient broth supplemented with glucose or glycerol (1% w/v).The cultures were centrifuged at 16000xg by 20 minutes, and the liquid-liquid extraction of violacein was made with ethyl acetate.The sample was concentrated by rotavaporation, and the crude extract fractions were recovered by using HPLC.The best culture conditions were 150 rpm, without light, and refrigeration (4 °C).The culture medium favoring violacein production was the nutrient broth supplemented with 1% w/v glucose.The HPLC chromatogram showed the presence of two compounds that correspond to violacein and deoxyviolacein.