• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 1996

The isolation and chemical characterization of yellow food pigments from Monascus purpureus were studied according to the compositions of media. Monacus yellow pigments were isolated and purified by solvent fractionation, silicagel column chromatography, TLC and HPLC. The retention time of Monascus yellow pigments isolated by HPLC was respectively 5 min(I) and 9 min(II) as the yeast malt extract agar(YMA) media and was respectively 4.6 min(III), 5 min(I) 5.7 min(IV), 8.3 min(V), 9 min(II) and 10.7 min(Ⅵ) at the malt extract agar(MEA) media. The structure of monascin(I), ankaflavin(II), 6,11-dihydrorubropunctatin(III), 6,11-dihydromonascorubrin(V) and unknown compounds(IV,Ⅵ) was elucidated by EI-Mass, H and C NMR, UV-visible spectrometer. Therefore, it was suggested that 6,11-dihydrorubropunctatin(III) and 6,11-dihydromonascorubrin(V) are new intermediates of Monascus yellow pigments.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.361-363
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• 1997

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.737-740
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• 2002

To determine the relations between antihypertensive effect and ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid, mycelial weight and pigment of Monascus, ethanol koji extracts were prepared from Monascus koji and each of three grade was classified based on ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid content, glucosamine content and hue angle value, respectively. Each extract was orally administrated on male spontaneously hypertensive rats and its antihypertensive effect was compared. Most of koji extracts showed antihypertensive activity regardless of their ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid content, glucosamine content or hue angle value. Therefore, hypotensive activity of koji extract was not dependent on above three components.

• 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 Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1998

The mold YH-69 producing pigments was isolated from soil, and identified as Monascus sp.. For the production of the pigments from the mold, the best condition was observed with 6% rice powder with 200 mesh, 0.2% yeast extract, 0.3% ammonium sulfate, and 0.02% ZnSO4 at pH 5 and 30$\circ$ for 6 day with reciprocal shaking.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 1980

Culture conditions of yellow pigment in Monascus sp. were studied. According to the studies of culture conditions optimum condition was found to be pH 4.5, 3 days of incubation with 3% of sucrose as carbon source, 0.2 ％ of yeast extract as nitrogen source and 75m1 of medium in the 500m1 erlenmyer flask by rotary shaking (rpm 180) at 180 r.p.m. Effective levels of inorganic compounds were found to be 0.25 % of potassium phosphate monobasic and 0.1 ％ of Magnesium sulfate.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1979

Fungi which produce red pigment were isolated from tapioca chips, Korean Koji, air, and plant leaves. Among the Fungi, T-1 strain was selected as test strain. This strain was identified as a Monatcus sp. by the morphological propeties. Various culture conditions, and physical and physiological characteristics of red pigment were studied. According to the studies of culture conditions, optimum condition was found to be pH 6.5; 4 days of incubation; temperature, 32~33 c: 3.5％ of Tapioca chips powder as carbon source, 0.2％ of sodium nitrate as nitrogen source and 100 ml of medium in the 500 ml Erlenmyer flask at a rotary shaker (rpm180) as aeration condition. Also effective levels of vitamins, amino acids and inorganic compounds was found to be l$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of folic acid and niacin; 0.3％ of L-arginine, L-glutamic acid and L-proline; and 0.001％ of manganese dioxide giving good results.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.117-121
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• 1981

Safety of yellow pigment produced by Monascus sp. CS-2 was evaluated. Acute oral toxicity, pyrogen test, and histamine test, as well as antimicrobial activity were determined. The results obtained were; LD oral in mice was 132.5 mg/20 g, pyrogen test in rabbit was 5 mg/kg, and histamine test in cat was 10 mg/kg. Also the pigment was particularly sensitive to Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Sarcina lutea (ATCC 9341) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 P), whereas not sensitive to Pseudomonas pyosyanea (ACTC 10490), Bacillus var. mycoides (ATCC 11778), Bordetella bronchiseptica (ATCC 4617) and Staphylococcus epidermidis(ATCC 12228).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 1989

This study aims at producing red pigment effectively by using protoplast fusion. Auxotrophic mutants of M. anka, $4478-27-37(Thi^-,\;Met^-),\;4478-27-62(Thi^-,\;Arg^-)$ were derived from M. anka, 4478-27. M. anka, $6540-185-24\;(Pan^-,\;Leu^-)$ and M. anka, $6540-185-72\;(Arg^-)$ were derived from M. anka, 6540-185. The optimal conditions of protoplast fromation were at time by using mixtures of chitinase (100mg/ml), cellulase (5mg/ml) and ${\beta}-glucuronidase\;(5mg/ml)$. The protoplast of those auxotrophic mutants were fused effectively, in the solution of 30% PEG $6,000,001M-CaCl_2$, 0.05M-glycine, pH 6.0. Fusion frequencies were 0.70%-0.85%. Fusants, No. 14 and 42 produced highest red pigment among them.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.271-277
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• 1995

Total 29 Monascus strains were isolated from Ang-Khak and 4 of them were selecte based on the relative intensity of soluble red pigment and growth rate. The optimum growth temperature of the selected isolates was 32.5$^{\circ}C$ on malt extract agar(MEZ) plate. The optimum growth pH was 5.0 on czapek yeast extract agar plate, while it was pH 6.2 or 6.5 on MEA plate. Isolate No. 116, especially, showed the strongest animicrobial activity aganist Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus but much less aganist Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. The maximun antimicrobial activity of isolate No. 116 against St. aureus was achieved at initial pH 5.3 on rice extract broth. The acitivity was increased with increasing amount of culture broth concentrate of isolate No. 116.