• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.493-498
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• 2006

The optimal culture conditions of Monascus purpureus MMK2 for production of red pigment were investigated in submerged culture. Monascus purpureus MMK2 showed a maximal production of red pigment in the medium containing of 3.0% wheat flour, $0.15%\;NaNO_3,\;0.25%\;Na_2HPO_4\;12H_2O$ and $0.15%\;MgSO_4\;7H_2O$. The optimal culture conditions of temperature and initial pH were $30^{\circ}C$ and 6.5, respectively. The red pigment production reached to a maximal level at 7th day of cultivation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1047-1052
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• 2001

The pigment content in meju fermented by a Monascus species with different materials was studied. The relations between growth of M. pilosus and pigment production were positive and the correlation coefficient associated with this relationship was determined to be : r = 0.9879. Pigments produced by M. purpureus and M. pilosus were composed of 9 and 8 bands, respectively. One kind of them was yellowish, whereas the others were reddish. Total pigment levels in rice meju fermented by M. purpureus and M. pilosus were 335.25 and 1428.90$\mu\textrm{g}$/g, respectively. Pigment levels in the mejus fermented at 3$0^{\circ}C$ showed higher than those at 20 and 4$0^{\circ}C$. The order of pigment content in meju was polished rice > germinated brown rice > wheat > brown rice > waxy brown rice > germinated waxy brown rice. Pigment production by M. pilosus was higher than that of M. purpureus. Pigment content in rice meju prepared by adding 10% seed culture was highest, and pigment content of granulated rice was higher than that of powdered rice. Pigment production was not desirable in soybean meju fermented by seed culture, whereas the pigment levels in meju by adding 10% powdered rice and 10% powdered rice seed meju increased by 23.0 ~75.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1979

Yellow pigment was extracted by petroleum ether, and red pigment by 60％ ethanol. By thin layer chromatography red pigment preparation consists of more than five species whereas yellow pigment preparation consist of single species. The absorption curve of pigment solution exhibits maximum peak at wavelongth range of 495~500 nm and endo pigment at 394~403 nm. Pigment solution was relatively stable at the pH range of 3~9. Extracted pigment solution gave negative hemolysis test and pigment showed no bio-activity and nontoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 1977

1) Higher yield of red color was observed by the isolated strain (Monascus D-7) than the type cultures in steamed rice medium. 2) In a case of Monascus purbigerus IAM 8004, best yield of color was obtained at Lin's submerged culture medium containing 1% wheat bran, 2% starch and 3% corn meal instead of rice powder as carbon source. However, in a case of isolated strain (M. D-7), good result was shown at 1% rice bran and 2% starch as a source of carbon in Lin's medium. 3) Good yields were obtained from both strains in Nishikawa's medium which was added with 3% defatted soybean flour. 4) There were no significant differences in pigment extractability among solvents. Extracted pigment was stable in wide range of pH and heat, whereas relatively unstable in sunlight. 5) Toxicological study of extracted pigment determined $LD_{50}$ at 0.2539g/20g, when injected in mouse. When injected in to mouse in 25% ethanol solution: considering the toxicity of ethanol, the toxicity of pigment itself is believed to be none.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2019

Di- and tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me2 and H3K4me3, respectively) are epigenetic markers of active genes. Complex associated with Set1 (COMPASS) mediates these H3K4 methylations. The involvement of COMPASS activity in secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis was first demonstrated with an Aspergillus nidulans cclA knockout mutant. The cclA knockout induced the transcription of two cryptic SM biosynthetic gene clusters, leading to the production of the cognate SM. Monascus spp. are filamentous fungi that have been used for food fermentation in eastern Asia, and the pigment Monascus azaphione (MAz) is their main SM. Monascus highly produces MAz, implying that the cognate biosynthetic genes are highly active in transcription. In the present study, we examined how COMPASS activity modulates MAz biosynthesis by inactivating Monascus purpureus cclA (Mp-cclA) and swd1 (Mp-swd1). For both ${\Delta}Mp-cclA$ and ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$, a reduction in MAz production, accompanied by an abated cell growth, was observed. Suppression of MAz production was more effective in an agar culture than in the submerged liquid culture. The fidelity of the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ phenotypes was verified by restoring the WT-like phenotypes in a reversion recombinant mutant, namely, trpCp: Mp-swd1, that was generated from the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ mutant. Real-time quantitative Polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the transcription of MAz biosynthetic genes was repressed in the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ mutant. This study demonstrated that MAz biosynthesis is under the control of COMPASS activity and that the extent of this regulation is dependent on growth conditions.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2008

Currently, natural food colorants and preservatives are being used for their general health benefits. Monascus koji, the product of certain fungi that grow on rice grains, has been added to many foods for coloring and preservation. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of Monascus koji ethanol extracts were investigated. Six Monascus strains (M. araneosus KFRI 00371, M. kaoliang ATCC 46597, M. pilosus IFO 4520, M. purpureus IFO 4482, M. ruber IFO 32318 and M. sp. ATCC 16437) were selected based on their relative intensity of red pigment. Two Monascus extracts, M. kaoliang ATCC 46597 and M. purpureus IFO 4482, displayed antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium in concentration-dependent manners. The two extracts showed their strongest antimicrobial activity against S. typhimurium, a cause of food poisoning. Therefore, these results suggest that Monascus koji could be used as a natural food colorant and preservative.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.364-374
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• 2013

Monacolin K and yellow pigment, produced by Monascus sp., have each been proven to be beneficial compounds as antihypercholesterolemic and anti-inflammation agents, respectively. However, citrinin, a human toxic substance, was also synthesized in this fungus. In this research, solidstate fermentation of M. purpureus TISTR 3541 was optimized by statistical methodology to obtain a high production of monacolin K and yellow pigment along with a low level of citrinin. Fractional factorial design was applied in this study to identify the significant factors. Among the 13 variables, five parameters (i.e., glycerol, methionine, sodium nitrate, cultivation time, and temperature) influencing monacolin K, yellow pigment, and citrinin production were identified. A central composite design was further employed to investigate the optimum level of these five factors. The maximum production of monacolin K and yellow pigment of 5,900 mg/kg and 1,700 units/g, respectively, and the minimum citrinin concentration of 0.26 mg/kg were achieved in the medium containing 2% glycerol, 0.14% methionine, and 0.01% sodium nitrate at $25^{\circ}C$ for 16 days of cultivation. The yields of monacolin K and yellow pigment were about 3 and 1.5 times higher than the basal medium, respectively, whereas citrinin was dramatically reduced by 36 times.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.262-262
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.711-715
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• 2004

The stability of 80% ethanol-soluble pigments from Monasus purpureus CBS 281.34 was investigated according to storage temperature, pH and addition of organic acid. Also, the stability of ethanol-soluble pigment in aqueous system was examined after the addition of distilled water in the range of 0∼80% during the storage at 1$0^{\circ}C$ and 2$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks with water soluble pigment. The heat stability was the highest (9.74%) when the 80% ethanol-soluble pigments were stored at 1$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks. However, the 80% ethanol-soluble pigments stored at 6$0^{\circ}C$ and 8$0^{\circ}C$ for 24 h and 12 h greatly decreased by 23.06% and 30.36%, respectively. Although the 80% ethanol-soluble pigments were stable in the range of pH 4∼8, the degradation rate of pigment increased at pH 2 and PH 10.80% ethanol extract was adjusted to PH 4 by adding organic acids. The rate of pigment degradation was not different from control for 4 weeks. Red pigment was stable in the treatment of organic acids. And the stability of ethanol-soluble pigment in aqueous system was gradually decreased as the pigment content and storage time increased. Additionally, the stability of ethanol-soluble pigment was higher at 1$0^{\circ}C$ than at 2$0^{\circ}C$.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2002

To maximize and sustain the productivity of Monascus pigments, various environmental and nutritional parameters, such as the initial moisture content, pH, inoculum size, sample size, and nutrient supplement, that influence pigment production were evaluated in solid-state cultures as follows: initial moisture content, $50\%;$ pH, 6.0; inoculum size $1\;\times\;10^4$ spore cells $(grams\;of\;dry\;solid\;substrate)^{-1};$ sample size, 300 g. All supplementary nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and mineral sources) added has inhibitory effects on the cell growth and red pigment production. In open tray culture the maximum biomass yield and specific productivity of red pigments were 223 mg DCW $(grams\;of\;initial\;dry\;substrate)^{-1}$ and, $47.6\;OD_{500}\;(DCW\;grams)^{-1}h^h{-1}$ respectively.