Production of statins by filamentous fungi

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.