Several Monascus and Aspergillus strains were screened for statins producti
on. Lovastatin, monacolin J, pravastatin and mevastatin were produced, with
higher yields from the A. terreus strains than from Monascus species. Of a
ll the strains investigated M. paxii AM12M, an isolated spontaneous mutant,
yielded 127 mg lovastatin/l and 53 mg pravastatin/l at 21 days, and 18 mg
pravastatin/l at 16 days employing a whole soybean flour medium; A. terreus
BST yielded 230 mg lovastatin/l and 118 mg pravastatin/l at 14 days employ
ing a defatted soybean flour medium. Statins recovery showed that pravastat
in was, in both strains, mostly found in both the mycelium and the culture
filtrate, while lovastatin remained closely associated (83%) to the A. terr
eus mycelium or was mainly released into the culture filtrate (64%) of M. p
axii culture.