Biochemical and Biological Studies on Red Pigment Extracted from Gamma Irradiated Monascus purpureus

Abstract

In the present study, Monascus purpureus ATCC16436 (NRRL 1992) was used for red pigment production. Different fermentation conditions were tested for production enhancement of red pigment. Six types of fermentation media were screened to select the most proper broth medium for the best red pigment production by Monascus purpureus. A variety of fermentation conditions including the cultivation medium requirements and physical parameters were tested to enhance the production of red pigment under submerged conditions. Solid state fermentation for red pigment was evaluated. Eight different substances were used as solid substrates for testing the ability of the fungal strain to produce red pigment under solid state fermentation. Gamma irradiation studies were applied to examine its utilization to increase the production of red pigment. In addition, studies on the application of antimicrobial activity on the produced red pigment were also considered. The main experimental results could be summarized as follows: