PRODUCTION OF MONASCUS PIGMENTS BY A SOLID-LIQUID STATE CULTURE METHOD

In a simple batch culture of Monascus growing on 50 g/l tapioca starch as the carbon substrate, the biomass dry weight reached a maximum val ue of 8 g/l. The red and yellow polyketide pigments continued to be pr oduced after cell growth had leveled off at 40 h, and reached the conc entrations of 31 and 26.5 optical density (OD) units, respectively. Wh en a 200 g/l starch medium was continuously fed into a Monascus cultur e after being grown in batch mode for 60 h, tbe biomass dry weight rea ched a concentration of 16 g/l at 140 h. At this point in time, the re d and yellow pigment concentrations were 70 and 60 OD units, respectiv ely. A two-state (solid-liquid) batch culture system was constructed u sing a solid state of 400 g/l gelatinized starch cake and a liquid sta te which contained all the culture substrates except starch, in which the mycelia were cultured. The starch block was digested gradually thr ough the amylolytic activity of enzymes produced by the Monascus cultu re. The growth fate of the culture was almost linear up to 170 h, and a cell concentration of 37.5 g/l and pigment concentrations of about 1 45 OD units for both the red and yellow pigments were achieved.