Pigment Production from Immobilized Monascus sp. Utilizing Polymeric Resin Adsorption

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pigment production by the fungus Monascus sp. was studied to determine why Monascus sp. provides more pigment [of interest as a potential food colorant] in solid culture than in submerged culture. Adding a sterilized nonionic polymeric adsorbent resin directly to the growing submerged culture did not enhance pigment production, thus indicating that pigment extraction is probably not a factor. Monascus cells immobilized in hydrogel exhibited decreased pigment production as a result of immobilization. This result may be due to diffusional resistance of the pigment throughout the hydrogel beads. Addition of the adsorbent resin to the immobilized Monascus culture increased both the maximum pigment yield and the production rate above those of the free-cell fermentations. The provision of a support for the mycelium may explain enhanced pigment production by the solid-state culture. Thus product diffusion from immobilized cell systems can be the limiting factor and in situ extraction is a possible way to circumvent this problem.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: