Summary
A higher producer of ascospores and pigments, Monascus strain TTWMB 6042, was used to study regulation of pigment production by nutrients. An initial medium containing 4% glucose, 0.3% NH4NO3 (75 mm nitrogen) and inorganic salts was used. We found that the formation of red pigments in this strain, measured by optical density at 500 nm (OD500) was strongly stimulated by monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the sole nitrogen source. The choice of carbon source and an initial pH of pH 5.5 were also important. High concentrations of phosphate and MgSO4 were inhibitory to pigment production. A new chemically defined medium was devised containing 5% maltose, 75 mm MSG, phosphate and MgSO4 at lower concentrations plus other mineral salts, which yielded a tenfold increase in OD500 and a reversal of the pigment location from predominantly cell-bound, including both intracellular and surface-bound pigments, to mainly extracellular.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bau YS, Wong HC (1979) Zinc effects on growth, pigmentation and antibacterial activity of Monascus purpureus. Physiol Plant 46:63–67
Huang TL (1981) Fermentative production and toxic test of natural pigment — Monascus pigments (in Chinese). Masters Thesis, National Taiwan University, Taipei
Iizuka H, Lin CF (1980) On the genus Monascus of Asia and its specific characteristics. In: Moo Young M, Robinson CW, Vezina C (eds) Advances in Biotechnology, vol 2. Pergamon Press, Toronto, p 555
Johnson GT, McHan F (1975) Some effects of zinc on the utilization of carbon sources by Monascus purpureus. Mucologia 67:806–816
Lin CF (1973) Isolation and cultural condition of Monascus sp for the production of pigment in a submerged culture. J Ferment Technol 51:407–414
Lin TF (1983) The identification and practical classification of Monascus spp (in Chinese). Spec Top Sci Technol Alc Bevs 5:104–113
Lin TF, Huang CT (1983) The zymotic properties of Monascus mold. The production of extracellular amylases (in Chinese). Annu Rep Res Inst Wines 157–167
Shepherd D, Carels M (1983) Product formation and differentiation in fungi. In: Smith JE (ed) Fungal differentiation. Dekker, New York, p 515
Su YC (1978) The production of Monascus pigments (in Chinese). Food Sci 5:4A–17A
Sweeny JG, Estrada-Valdes MC, Iacobucci GA, Sato H, Sakamura S (1981) Photoprotection of the red pigments of Monascus anka in aqueous media by 1,4,6-trihydroxynaphthalene. J Agric Food Chem 29:1189–1193
Tieghem P van (1884) Monascus, genre nouveau de l'ordre des Ascomycetes. Bull Soc Bot Fr 31:226–231
Wong HC (1982) Antibiotic and pigment production by Monascus purpureus. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens
Wong HC, Lin YC, Koehler PE (1981) Regulation of growth and pigmentation of Monascus purpureus by carbon and nitrogen concentration. Mycologia 73:649–654
Yoshimura M, Yamanada S, Mitsugi K, Hirose Y (1975) Production of Monascus pigment in a submerged culture. Agric Biol Chem 39:1789–1795
Young EM (1930) Physiological studies in relation to the taxonomy of Monascus species. Trans Wis Acad Sci Arts Lett 227–244
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Offsprint requests to: A. L. Demain
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, T.F., Demain, A.L. Effect of nutrition of Monascus sp. on formation of red pigments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 36, 70–75 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164701
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164701