• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.959-965
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• 2013

Monascus species have been used to produce fermented rice called Monascus-fermented rice (MFR). To improve a Monascus strain via activation of secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters for use in the production of MFR, we overexpressed an ortholog of the laeA gene, which encodes a global positive regulator of secondary metabolism under the control of the strong heterologous Aspergillus nidulans alcA promoter in Monascus pilosus. The OE::laeA transformant produced more SMs, including those not detected under uninduced conditions. MFR produced using the M. pilosus OE::laeA strain contained 4 times more monacolin K, a cholesterol-lowering agent, than MFR produced using the wild-type strain. In addition, pigment production was remarkably increased, and the antioxidant activity was increased as well. The results from this study suggest that Monascus species, which are important industrial fermentative fungi in Asia, can be improved for the production of functional foods by overexpressing the laeA gene.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.164-169
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• 2004

We had screened the Monascus strain capable of producing monacolin K dominantly among 29 Monascus strains. Red yeast rice was prepared by culturing each Monascus sp. with 200 g of steamed rice (12$0^{\circ}C$, 20 min) at 3$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 days and drying at 8$0^{\circ}C$ for 20 min. As a result, red yeast rice cultured by M. purpureus ATCC16457, M. purpureu IFO 32316, M. purpureus IFO 32228, M. kaoliang ATCC 46595 and M. kaoliang ATCC 46596 produced lots of red pigment and monacolin K. An unidentified Monascus sp. showed the highest productivityof red pigment and monacolin K among 29 Monascus strains. Its production of red pigment and monacolin K was 1.3∼39 times and 2.4∼8 times higher than other strains, respectively. Although the morphological characteristics of unidentified Monascus strain were a little different from the typical M. purpureus, it was identified as M. purpureus CBS 281.34 from the result of sequencing of ITS (Internal transcribed spacer) and 28S ribosomal RNA (partial).

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.400-407
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• 2013

The growth characteristics and production of color pigments by Monascus strains were investigated during liquid culture, and production of monacolin K in red mold rice was carried out by solid state fermentation. Four different Monascus ruber strains were cultured in potato dextrose yeast extract broth (PDYB) media at $25^{\circ}C$ for 15 days. The high producing strain for red pigment was not corresponded to the strain for yellow pigment. Production of red pigment was high in the strain causing the fast pH change in culture broth. Production of monacolin K in red mold rice by solid state fermentation was influenced by a combination of wet cell weight and spore density in inoculum by liquid culture. Most strains showed the high production of monacolin K in red mold rice, when submerged fermentation was carried out for 5 days as inoculum for solid state fermentation. These results suggest that submerged fermentation period of inoculum have an effect on the production of monacolin K in red mold rice by solid state fermentation, and monacolin K in red mold rice could be increased by controlling the condition of submerged fermentation for inoculum.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2019

Carotene, xanthophyll, carotenoid anthocyan, phycopyrine, chlorophyll, and monascus pigments are used as natural coloring agents since they are more stable to human body than synthetic coloring agents. Among them, monascus pigments are a natural red pigment produced by the Monascus purpureus. For the development of edible paint using natural pigment, Monascus purpureus strain was cultured at a temperature of $35^{\circ}C$ for 15 days on a PDYA plate and liquid medium to produce a red pigment. In addition, a large amount of the red pigment was extracted from Hongkuk Koji in parallel with water extraction and ultrasonic wave extraction. At this time, the yield of ultrasonic extract was 2~4 times higher. Thus, Monascus purpureus strains, etc. were prepared by freeze-drying powder. In conclusion, natural paints made with red pigments have enabled the development of been edible paints that can be used as eco-friendly materials with good viscosity, enhanced spread ability and coloration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.92-97
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• 1995

The monacolin retard in vivo synthesis of cholestrol. This study was conducted to select the best strain of Monascus sp. for monacolin production among 21 strains. In addition, research on suitable condition for mass production was conducted. Monascus pilosus M-15 was selected as the best strain for production of monacolin. The appropriate substrate for the monacolin production seem to be as follow : glycerin 5%, glucose 2%, corn steep liquor 0.5%, sodium nitrate 0.5% and length of fermentation was at $25^{\circ}C$ for 10~12days, respectively. The monacolin obtained from this organism was compared with standard monacolin using UV, IR, and GC/MS system and it was very close to the standard monacolin.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 1999

In this study, we tested possibility of replacing nitrite salts, which were always added during the meat product processing, with the metabolites produced by antimicrobial and red pigment producing Monascus strains. We have already shown that Monascus No. 116 strain has the highest antimicrobial activity among the strains isolated from Ang-Khak. Monascus isolate No. 229 was chosen due to its outstanding red pigment producing ability. The red pigment production by No. 229 was highest in the medium containing 8% sucrose, 2% yeast extract, 0.1% K2HPO4, 0.5% MgSO4. Optimum pH and temperature for the red pigment production were pH 6.2 and 3$0^{\circ}C$, was found in spot or Rf value 0.54 on TLC plate using ethyl acetate-acetone-water (4:4:1, v/v/v) as development solvent system. Isolate No. 116 and No. 229 were cultured in a optimal condition for the antimicrobial activity and red pigmentation. The culture concentrates were applied in situ to the production of instantly processed ham. Mixed application of 89 ppm Na-nitrite and 300 ppm of culture broth concentrate of Monascus isolate No. 116 and 500 ppm of red color produced by Monascus isolate No. 229 showed similar results with the single application of 94 ppm Na-nitrite. These results confirmed that the antimicrobial activity and red pigment of Monascus strains might be valuable to replace Na-nitrite salt in meat processing.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.134-138
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• 1993

Monascus anka 732Y3 was induced from Monascus anka KFCC 11832 (IFO 4478, ATCC 16360) by ultra-violet light irradiation. The growth of this new fungus is frequently more dependent on sexual propagation than asexual propagation, compared with that of its parental strain, M. anka KFCC 11832. Less conidia than those of M. anka KFCC 11832 were observed by a microscope. The optical density of the red pigments ($OD_{500}$) produced by M. anka 732Y3 was 157, which was about 10 times higer than that of M. anka KFCC 11832. Such high production of the red pigments by the mutant could be explained by the following observations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.137-142
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• 2007

For the production of natural pigments with microbe, the strains which produced monascus pigment were isolated, and then culture condition and extraction condition were investigated. These results are summarized as follows; The strain which ran produce monascus natural pigment was isolated from natural microbial sources and we made mutant of this strain with UV($235_{nm}$, 30 second) irradiation. The mutant was identified as Monascus sp. MK2-2. The optimal culture conditions were investigated optimal medium containing 0.3% rice powder, 0.2% yeast extract, 0.3% $NH_4H_2PO_4$ and $30^{\circ}C$ in a rotary shaker (120 rpm) for 5 days (initial pH 5.0), while the pigment production was determined at 24 hr intervals. The effective carbon sources were wheat flour > rice powder > fructose, and effective nitrogen sources were sodium nitrate > $KNO_3$ for production of the monascus natural pigment. The pigment capacity is good from 17 to 22 in C/N ratio. The production amount of monascus natural pigment was 0.38 g per 1 kg of rice. Also, extract of red yeast rice had anti-thrombosis activity like a degree of aspirin.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.451-456
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• 2007

The potential antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from soybean and rice fermented with Monascus sp. were investigated. M. pilosus IFO 480 and M. anka IFO 478 were screened as a suitable strain to promote the antioxidant activities in soybean- and rice- fermentation. The methanol extracts from soybean and rice after fermenting for 20 days at $30^{\circ}C$ resulted in a significant increase in the antioxidant capacities expressed as radical (ABTS and DPPH) scavenging assay and peroxidation inhibition (%) by thiocyanate method and increased (p<0.01) by a 2.6 to 3.1-fold compared with those of the unfermented products. The average antioxidant potentials of Monascus-fermented soybean extracts (MFSE) were significantly (p<0.01) stronger than Monascus-fermented rice extracts (MFRE). A linear correlations between free radical scavenging activity of MFSE and the total phenolics content (r=0.84) and total flavonoids content (r=0.81) were observed. These results indicated that MFSE exhibited stronger (p<0.01) antioxidant activity and contained significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of phenolics than MFRE.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.256-261
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• 2006

Soybeans were fermented with Monascus sp. to select strain with highest mevinolin production through solidstate fermentation. Monascus pilosus IFO 480 showed highest yield of 2.2 mg mevinolin per g dry weight without citrinin, toxic fungal secondary metabolite, as byproduct. Nutrient broth used for soybean fermentation with Monascus sp. was composed of 3.4 rice powder, 1.1 peptone, 2.6 glycine, 12.9 glucose, initial pH 6.0 (%, w/v). Mevinolin was present in fermentation substrate largely as hydroxy carboxylate form (open lactone, 91.8-96.8%), which is used as hypocholesterolemic agent. Production of mevinolin continued up to 50 days fermentation time at $30^{\circ}C$.